It was inevitable that the recent rise in fuel costs to over $4 per gallon (now coming down rather quickly!) would cause people to rethink using vehicles that get poor fuel economy. Many of these replacement vehicles have only two wheels and include small, light-weight scooters. While these scooters do get great mileage, they are, of course, less safe than a normal car for several reasons.
First, they cannot offer you the protection you need when other drivers are negligent on the road and run stop lights and stop signs or fail to yield. You are basically “out there” when this happens. Your lightweight scooter and body parts will be taking the impact in cases like this.
Second, because scooters are smaller, they are less likely to be seen by motorists on the road driving in their cars and trucks. Cars merging into the lane of a scooter will happen more than if the scooter were a normal car or truck. Scooter drivers tend to get cut-off more because they are harder to see.
Third, because scooters have only two wheels, they are less safe when there is gravel, debris and water on the road. Gravel in a turn on the road can be quite dangerous, as can a recent rain on greasy roads.
Driving in icy or snowy conditions can also be extremely dangerous. I remember driving my moped to college many years ago when the road was icy and almost losing control in going around a corner in Provo. After that happened, I parked the moped and took the bus. The lesson to be learned from all of this is that those who drive two-wheeled vehicles absolutely need to practice defensive driving. The fact is, some cars will just not see you as you’re tooling down the road. This actually happened to me a couple months ago in Orem when I was riding my bike down the road going around 25 mph when a car started a left-hand turn into a side street just in front of me. I yelled, braked and swerved Fortunately, the driver saw me at the last second and stopped with his hood about 2 feet from my side. I’m grateful I didn’t get hit! Finally, one of the most obvious safety reminders for those that ride a two-wheeled vehicle: wear a helmet!
Published by: Ron Kramer
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Fantastic website you have here but I was curious about if you knew of any community forums that cover the same topics discussed in this article? I’d really love to be a part of online community where I can get responses from other experienced individuals that share the same interest. If you have any suggestions, please let me know. Bless you!