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Safe Nighttime Scooting
I've
seen a few folks scootering around at nighttime, which can indeed be
very fun. Cooler
temperatures, quieter roads, and the post-sunset peace usually make
for pleasant outdoor experiences.
For scootheads, however, it is also a potentially dangerous
time -- the low visibility that comes with nightfall can be downright
deadly if precautions aren't taken.
Here are some recommendations for safe nighttime scootering: LIGHT
UP! Every
scooter owned by ScootHead staff
members is equipped with headlights.
Mine is actually equipped with two!
There are many brands and models to chooose from, but we've
unanimously gone with CatEye's
HL-500II headlight.
Unlike bicycles -- which have many more places on their frames
and bars to mount things like rechargeable battery packs -- scooters
offer very few places for clamp-on accessories.
What we like about the HL-500II headlight is that it uses
standard batteries (4 AA), which keeps it compact, lightweight, and
lit for three hours. REFLECT Just
about anything you can do to make yourself more visible at nighttime
is good. Reflective tape
is helpful, as is reflective clothing.
One pair of jogging shoes I own has reflective material on the
back of each shoe which is extremely noticeable at night.
Also, one of my backpacks -- an Amazon.com
Back Office backpack that I bought from Amazon.com for only $35.00
-- has reflective piping on it that seems to glow in the dark when
even just a little bit of light strikes it. ABSTINENCE
IS THE SAFEST CHOICE Of
course, the safest nighttime riding choice a scoothead can make is to
simply not do it at all. Truth
be told, this option receives our highest recommendation.
Scooters are small, and can be difficult for even the most
vigilant automobile drivers to see, not to mention the many numbskulls
that get behind the wheel.
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