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Why I now wear a helmet while on my scooter

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Contributed by: Dianne Lorang on 6/14/2008

It's been a year since my scooter accident. I actually rolled up on the hood of a car and broke its windshield. I remember thinking, "Cool! Just like in the movies." But it wouldn't have been cool if I'd gotten seriously hurt. The reason I only suffered a slight concussion rather than major head trauma is because I was wearing a helmet.

So when I see someone riding around on a scooter with no helmet, I want to stick my head out my window and yell at them, "Hey, do you know you're practically invisible to the average motorist!" I don't dare though in case I distract them and cause an accident. I know from experience how important it is to pay attention to my riding and nothing else.

Because my scooter is 250cc, I needed a motorcycle license and took a safety course to get it. But most small scooter owners have not had any safety training, which is offered by www.abateofcolo.org among others. They simply go out and buy a scooter thinking it is like a bicycle,but it is not.

For one thing, scooters ride in traffic as if they were a car or motorcycle. You don't see them in the bicycle lane. What's amazing is while bicyclists wear helmets, scooter riders seem to think a helmet is unnecessary. Of course, it isn't the law in Colorado, anymore than it is for a motorcyclist to wear a helmet. But it is smart, even if you're just tooling around town on city streets.

My accident was at a city intersection at a slow speed, yet you should have seen the damage my scooter took. Fortunately for me, the car's bumper hit my scooter rather than my leg, so I was able to walk out of the ER. And I only had a little road rash and bruising because along with my helmet, I wore long pants, boots, a leather jacket, and gloves.

You may think that's fine for a cooler day, but the little discomfort is definitely worth it should you be in an accident. Plus it isn't that warm when you're moving, and clothing protects you from flying pebbles and bugs at higher speeds.Whether you want to "bundle up" or not before taking off on your scooter is up to you. But if nothing else -wear your helmet - please!

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CONTRIBUTOR INFORMATION

Dianne Lorang

Littleton , CO

Dianne Lorang has posted 53 stories and 1 comment since joining on 9/9/2007. Dianne Lorang 's average story rating is 5.

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