26 Sept 2024
Whether you’re a seasoned veteran or first-time user, you should know the most important electric e-scooter rules and put safety first, always. In this electric scooter safety guide you’ll learn some fundamental safety rules.
The number-1 Bolt e-scooter rule is just like for any vehicle: don’t drink and drive.
Using an e-scooter under the influence of alcohol or other substances is illegal and strictly prohibited. Doing so will result in a fine and your account being permanently blocked from Bolt services.
If you can’t resist a celebratory drink after a long day at work, we recommend getting a bus or ordering a taxi instead. Let a driver get you home safe and sound while you sit back and relax.
Scooting with another person on the same e-scooter is strictly prohibited by Bolt’s General Riding Rules.
To ensure safety for all, we introduced the industry-first tandem riding prevention feature that detects when 2 people try riding 1 scooter. The feature sends a notification to users to warn them of the dangers of tandem riding.
Repeated detection of tandem riding could result in loss of access to our services.
We know that education goes a long way in correcting reckless riding behaviour. Thus, an iterative 3-step disciplinary approach is in place.
If a user makes at least 5 Bolt scooter rides, we’ll evaluate their scooting behaviour to ensure their trips are safe for all. If, during their 5 trips, a user falls short of responsible scooter usage, we’ll take action according to our 3-strike policy:
Read more about our reckless rider score feature and 3-step disciplinary approach in this blog post.
Traffic lights exist for more than just cars. There are also traffic lights for light vehicles, such as e-scooters and bicycles, and pedestrians. So when a traffic light turns red, you must come to a complete stop!
Traffic lights aren’t the only tools that regulate traffic. There are traffic signs, pedestrian crossings and markings, and more. And as with traffic lights, you should follow all street signs while using e-scooters.
And above all, please respect your fellow commuters while moving around the city — we’re in this together!
Just as cars have road lanes, scooters have cycle lanes. Riding in a cycle lane’s safer and prevents danger to others.
Local regulations prohibit riding on pavements, so please use the designated cycle lanes or where there are none available, use regular road lanes.
It’s important to always follow local regulations to ensure everyone stays safe.
Now that we’ve covered electric scooter rules regarding the law and traffic, the exciting part begins — scooting! If it’s your first time scooting, go over the ABCs of safe scooting before taking a ride.
Before pushing the throttle, it’s essential to do a quick safety check before each ride. Here are the basics:
Practice makes perfect, they say. And they’re right! If this is your first time scooting, find an empty car park or flat surface and practice scooting with these tips in mind:
Gently kick off from the ground to start moving and accelerate gradually so you have full control of the scooter.
Beginner mode will also be in place for at least your first 3 trips, which will limit your maximum scooter speed to 15 km/h.
Make sure to brake gently, braking gradually is important to avoid skidding or losing control.
Remember, be smooth!
If you need to pass another road user, give them a little ring with your bell to let them know you’re approaching.
This way, they’ll know when to move out of the way.
Dual handles aren’t just for aesthetics — engineers had a specific purpose when designing scooters with 2 handles.
It only takes a pothole or reckless driver to create an obstacle you can’t handle with only 1 hand on the controls.
So, think of the handlebars as part of your scooter safety gear and always use both!
Scooter safety gear and, most importantly, a helmet is like a superhero’s cape — it makes you feel invincible. But unlike a cape, helmets protect you from head injuries in the event of a fall.
Our scooter safety statistics from 2022 show that 99.997% of Bolt scooter rides ended safely without incident. But regardless of how vigilant you are, accidents can happen.
And if they do, a helmet’s the only thing standing between your head and the ground. So please follow Bolt scooter rule #7, and whenever possible, wear a helmet!
This unspoken electric scooter rule isn’t just about following the law — it’s about being considerate of your surroundings.
Keep in mind that cities typically have 3 designated areas, each with its own rules:
Across Ireland, we’ve had over 99% compliance with these parking rules. We want our users to be considerate of others around them, keep their community tidy and ensure that your scooter or bike trip doesn’t cause problems for other road users.
We touched on it above, but parking’s a topic that deserves its own section.
Parking a scooter correctly — and in an appropriate location — ensures your and others’ safety. If parked incorrectly, a scooter may be a hazard to others and can block important access routes.
Let’s go over the dos and don’ts of parking.
We’ve come to the end of the article, but not the end of the journey. You now have what it takes to contribute to our safe, responsible e-scooter community. Congrats!
And if you notice any unsafe behaviour while you’re out and about, please report it to us.
Keep up the good work, and see you out there!
