You've taken the plunge and purchased your first motor scooter. You were sick of paying today's high gas prices and you decided to do something about it. Congratulations! You've just opened a new chapter of fun in your life. Before you dawn your new helmet, it is probably wise to invest a scooter safety course.
You should check with your state's laws regarding license requirements. If you need to obtain a class CM1 license to legally ride your motor scooter, some states require that you complete a motorcycle/ motor scooter safety course. I believe that it is a good idea to go ahead and enroll in a safety course, even if you are not required by law to do so in your state. It will cost you a few bucks, but the lessons learned may save your life one day.
I took the California motorcycle safety course several years ago as part of the requirement to obtain my CM1 license. We spent a few hours in the classroom going over the rules that you need to follow as a rider. I'll never forget this line from my instructor during the first few minutes of the class: "There are two types of motorcyclists - one that has been in an accident, and one that will." I'm sure that this haunting line applies to motor scooter riders as well. Fortunately, I haven't yet experienced this fate, but have come close on a couple of occasions. If it weren't for the safety instruction that I received from the course, I may not have been so lucky.
The next part of the class was the fun part: hands-on riding instruction. I believe that we used these little 250cc motorcycles for this part of the class. Some riders chose to use their own motorcycles and motor scooters. Some of the important areas covered here were handling, signaling, turning, and braking. The braking section of the course was the most entertaining as we were required to perform a controlled skid in front of the instructor.
While speed is one of the main factors in most motorbike accidents, misjudgment is another. It is important to not only judge your speed through turns for example, but it is also important to judge what the vehicles around you might do. Another big reason for motorbike accidents is being invisible to a person driving an automobile. It is common for a car up ahead to cut a rider off when making a lane change.
Again, you've made a wise investment in your new motor scooter. Make a smarter choice and enroll in a motor scooter safety course to ensure that you will become a skilled and responsible motor scooter rider.
Alex Sutton has worked in the motor scooter industry for nearly 11 years. For more information please visit motor scooters.
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