As spring starts to turn into summer and the snowbirds return to their northern homes, Florida natives will be enjoying the outdoors. In addition to walking and biking, Floridians may also be out on scooters.
For motorists, watching for people on scooters can be difficult. When they first catch your eye, they may look like average pedestrians. The difference comes when they zoom into traffic.
Here’s what you should know about driving safely during scooter season.
Abundant amateurs
Scooters are simple enough to operate, but when people lack experience, scooter riding can be quite challenging. When you are watching for scooters on the road, be aware that some riders may not know all the rules for scooters. For example, people are not supposed to ride electric scooters on Florida sidewalks.
Even though scooter-riders are not supposed to be on the sidewalks, they will often ride there because they feel safer. The issue is that riding on the sidewalk makes them more difficult for motorists to see since they are coming from an unexpected place.
Highest risks
Over the last few years, as the electric scooter trend has continued to increase, researchers have looked at the cause of most scooter fatalities. After examining scooter crashes, the studies revealed most collisions occur in common situations, such as:
- Navigating intersections
- Between dusk and dawn
- When scooter riders come from the right
You can help yourself and scooter-riders by being aware of the bicycle, pedestrian and scooter traffic around you, especially at intersections.
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