How to use an electric scooter in the city safely and without being noticed

In a scenario that is slowly but gradually becoming post-pandemic, some industries that have seen their development halted have come back to life like snails after heavy rain.

Electric scooters — evolution type Jetson classic skateboarding, they’re back. It’s not that they’re new to the 21st century: the first motorized scooter dates back to 1919, it was called Autoped and belonged to the American brand Krupp . But it is during the last decade that they have become massive in the cities.

Vicente Doh, Managing Director of Move one of the pioneering companies in the marketing of these means of transport in Chile, at the beginning of the year gave testimonials that were not encouraging but serene — and in a way optimistic — about this return.

He commented that the 10% withdrawals and new travel habits – incubated from social distancing – alleviate the crisis caused by covid and its long confinement for the electromobility market.

Something that was highlighted a few days ago in the city of Viña del Mar, where Mayor Macarena Ripamonti gave the green light to a collaboration project between the municipality and EFE, allowing free electric scooters for users of the metro train.

“Viña del Mar can join the vanguard of other cities that are taking different steps to discourage the use of motorized vehicles and take care of our lives and the sustainability of the planet,” he added with a smile. , biking, helmet included.

But for the outcome to be positive, good intentions and advanced technology must go hand in hand with other factors. In this direction, Diego Garcia Guerra urban architect and coordinator of the NGO pedalable assures that the challenge is to “continue to work on education for the inclusive culture of cycling to have a better coexistence on the road”.

Regarding initiatives like this, she believes that “the electric skateboard is very versatile and comfortable to promote intermodality in our cities, allowing the exchange of modes of transport to cover the need to move”. In other words, it makes it possible to cover the distances that public transport does not always cover, thus helping to reduce the use of the car.

He says it is evident that more people are being seen on the streets and on bike paths on electric scooters, and due to this increase, more users are wearing helmets and other safety features, such as knee pads and reflective elements. But still, he adds, “there is a lot to improve.”

According to him, and contrary to what happens with the bicycle, “we don’t talk a lot” about how to include this means of transport in road culture. And it is that, honesty above all, many people see with some concern or resentment the massification of scooters.

“I wouldn’t say they’re looked down on,” Garcia says. “But they are conflicting,” he admits. He assures that the diversion of this mobilization has “several negative externalities which affect the city and the other users of active mobility”.

Like what ? That many scooter riders ride on sidewalks, which means an imminent risk of being run over by pedestrians. “The sidewalks are for pedestrians; Vehicles must circulate on cycle paths and the road. It is a basic knowledge that you must have to climb on these devices, ”assures the urban architect.

Garcia isn’t making this up: it’s in the road coexistence law, which maintains the compulsory use of helmets (it’s strongly recommended that they be for a motorbike rather than a bicycle) and that traffic must do on cycle lanes whenever there are any. If there are none, cycles — a category of vehicle that includes bicycles, skates, inline skates and scooters — should never be driven on sidewalks but on the right side of the roadway. If these instructions are not followed, fines of up to 25,000 pesos are incurred.

The second reason for conflict concerns cyclists, whose tension is mainly due to overtaking and unexpected encounters resulting from the higher speed of scooters and the absence of sound from their electric motor.

The key, he elaborates, “is to promote a culture of road coexistence that focuses attention on pedestrians, who are those who suffer the highest accident rate compared to other modes of transport. By achieving this, we will be able to have cities that are more respectful of the diversity of mobility, allowing a better design of public space that integrates active modes – pedestrians, cyclists and scooters – and public transport as the main axes”.

Riding an electric scooter is relatively easy, but it still takes some practice. The first recommendation, according to this Pure Electric Video Tutorial , it’s testing your new means of transport in a wide and unoccupied place, going to hold his hand when accelerating, braking and turning. Other tips from this audiovisual piece are:

—Never bring both feet together forward. Always keep one foot in front, like on a skateboard. Likewise, it is strongly recommended to walk with your knees slightly bent, for more flexibility.

— It is not recommended to brake suddenly, but if at any time it is necessary to do so, the correct way is to throw the body back and put one leg straighter forward while the other, flexed, accompanies the body.

—Look at the ground conditions: wet or sandy ground is a big enemy of the electric scooter. In these circumstances, always walk slowly and carefully.

—Always use both hands and never drive while listening to music, let alone looking at your cell phone.

Daniela Aceituno, together with Bastián Munster, is co-founder of Munsac , a company that wants to be a reference in terms of electric transport from an eco-responsible perspective. For her, scooters are a way to help solve the problem of pollution and congestion in cities.

When it comes to safety, both say a good helmet – again, not for a bike but for a motorcycle – is essential for riding a scooter. Along with that, they strongly recommend regular maintenance, so that it works at 100% capacity. On a technical level, the key is to look at one that has a good battery.

It is therefore at least Cassio Eichenberger who recommends him, expert in technical assistance for scooters and adviser to MOBIE, a brand of skateboards, bicycles and electric motorcycles. He suggests that hopefully they are from reputable brands, such as LG or Panasonic, or that the store has a warranty and technical service to fix it if needed.

Another piece of information is to observe and always take into account the conditions and difficulties of the route to be taken, and to avoid streets with very congested or high-speed traffic.

Although cities are not 100% prepared for scooters, since Munsac they recognize that it is improving rapidly. “At least in Santiago there are more and better bike paths, and there is a more inclusive culture for those who have left the car behind”, they reflect.

It is very likely that this cute means of transport will be more and more visible in cities. Diego Garcia firmly believes that responsible use by users of these devices, together with a culture of road coexistence and the corresponding regulations, will allow a smooth integration and “that new users of electric scooters, bicycles and cycles in general can enjoy a better travel experience by having safer and more complete journeys”.