Abu Dhabi Police warn scooter users in the emirate to take proper precautions…

With the drop in price of eScooters, and a relatively open attitude towards their use in the UAE, the number of two-wheeled eco hogs zooming up and down Abu Dhabi’s thoroughfares has increased dramatically over the last two years.

But like anything with significant momentum, there are inherent dangers to their use.

A new video shared by Abu Dhabi Police warns scooter-users to avoid travelling on roads and includes a reminder to wear protective equipment, such as helmets and pads.

The emirate’s police force has also recognised that there are a growing number of teenagers and young adults with scooters (although 14 is the minimum recommended age), and have urged parents to take an active role in ensuring young scoot enthusiasts are properly equipped and are aware of the rules of the road. Or more acccurately… pathways.

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There are also penalties for misuse of eScooters across the UAE — in a recent article the Khaleej Times quoted the “penalty for not giving priority to pedestrians at designated crossings” as a Dh500 fine.

Dubai’s RTA has also published guidelines for eScooter rental that apply as good common sense for private users as well.

Your pre-ride checklist should include:

  • Pump the hand brakes manually to ensure they are working properly.
  • Check tires to verify they are undamaged.
  • Visually inspect body of the scooter for cracks or other structural damage.

Safety requirements include:

  • Rider to be of 14 years of age minimum
  • Wear a protective helmet and appropriate gear and shoes
  • Riders must avoid blocking the movement of pedestrians and vehicles.
  • Leave a safe distance between E-scooters, bikes and pedestrians.
  • Riders must neither carry something that causes imbalance nor any passenger.
  • Observe the traffic signs
  • Report any incident to officials
  • Refrain from using dual headsets.
  • Failure to comply with these instructions and stipulations will be treated as a violation of the Federal Traffic Law.
  • Abide by the instructions, regulations, guiding and warning signs on the tracks.
  • Inform the competent authorities when any accident occurs, whether the accident was right or did not cause harm to others.
  • Adhere to general safety conditions while driving an electric scooter.
  • Wear appropriate clothes and shoes while crossing the pedestrian crossings and abide by traffic and traffic laws.
  • Dismount the Scooter while crossing the pedestrian crossings and abide by traffic and traffic laws.

And specifications for the scooters themselves require:

  • Head and rear lights.
  • Horn fixed on the steering arm (T-bar).
  • Roadworthy tyres.
  • Brakes on the front and back tyres.
  • The manufacturing of E-scooter must be tailored to the climatic conditions and specifications of the UAE.
  • The E-scooter must comply with the specifications specified by the authority concerned with setting specifications and standards.
  • The scooter must also have a GPS navigation tracker to control the geographical operation zone
  • The speed limit has to be at 20 km/h.
  • RTA reserves the right to introduce further stipulations in future, as appropriate.

Images: What’s On Archive