Scooter safety

By Jim Gerwing

I am by no means an expert on scooters or on their safe operation. But hey, let's face it. That never stops me from voicing my opinion. 

Here in James Bay more and more seniors are using scooters to get around in places that not so long ago were inaccessible to them. For example, the breakwater. The railings are a welcome and wonderful addition to that structure. However, too many of those on scooters seem to demonstrate an almost reckless disregard for their own safety or the safety of others. 

Enough has been written, mostly with no discernable results, on the obstacles to scooters on our James Bay sidewalks, what with the forest of utility poles, city signs, hedges intruding on well over half the width of sidewalks on many properties. The city should be doing something about that.

Not long ago a dear friend of mine decided she needed an electric scooter to get around. She picked up a scooter, but received no specific training, nor practice. Within a few weeks she had an accident, albeit not a serious one.

The city of Victoria has been debating regulations for scooter safety. I wonder if this is the right way to go about it. Do we really need more regulations, more penalties, more threats of fines, more policing of our population?

What is a reasonable solution? Education? Trouble is that those who need the education most are the least likely to accept it. But that is another story. It is wonderful to see seniors make their way around where they could not before. Yet, one of the problems is how they get around when using their scooters.

Would it be possible to contemplate a provision that no scooter should be sold, traded, given as a gift, handed down by family or friend, without an operating manual? What are some of the most important elements that should be included in such a manual?

• Safe speed.
• Traffic rules or conventions to obey about when and how it would be safe to ride on the street or must scooters always use sidewalks.
• Scooter etiquette.
• Foreseeing and avoiding obstacles and hazards. 
• Dealing with bikes and cars (and maybe trucks and buses).
• Finding the safest routes.
• Telephone number of city engineers to report problem areas, so they can fix them.
• How to keep this machine running safely.
• A provision to read this manual BEFORE going out on the scooter.
• Provisions for supervised practice BEFORE riding out in the real world.

Someone who knows the answers to these and other questions could be commissioned by the city to write a simple three or four page manual for attachment to every scooter, free of charge. You're very welcome, city officials.