Just Because Your e-Scooter Can Fit a Kid Doesn’t Mean You Should

Depending on where you live, you may be able to ride an electric scooter (your own or a rental) from a young age on bicycle paths and dedicated areas, or you may not be able to ride them anywhere else but private property, with the owner’s permission (if you live in the U.K., for instance). Regardless of regulations, e-scooters are everywhere, proving a hit with riders of all ages.

Parents, too, seem to have developed a fondness for them, especially when it comes to fitting them with a special attachment that allows them to take a child on the ride with them. Whether this attachment is another set of handle grips at the kid’s height or a kid’s chair, it’s not the smartest parenting choice you can make.

Scooters are essentially made only for one rider. Razor notes that even those scooters which are marketed for more than one rider are best used solo, because adding another person’s weight on them, no matter how small that person is, throws off the balance of the scooter. Add to that the fact that it can travel at speeds of around 20 mph (or more, depending on the model), and you have the perfect recipe for disaster.

It’s like placing another person on the handles of your bike: in case of an accident, that person will be sent flying to the ground.

Some of these parents, eager to share the joys of e-scooter riding with their kids, take the time to buy a helmet for the kid, in addition to the special attachment. Putting a helmet on the child riding with you on what is essentially a one-person motorized vehicle will not make what you’re doing any safer. Sure, the helmet will protect the kid in case of an accident, but the odds for the accident happening increase: by having to worry about another person’s wellbeing, your response times are slower. When you’re mounting curbs or riding on uneven pavement at 15-20 mph, a lot can go bad.

Just because there is physical room to fit a kid on your e-scooter, doesn’t mean that you should. Let’s be real, kids are small and they can fit into the cat’s box if they set their mind to it, but that doesn’t mean you should let them set up house there.

Common sense should prevail over the desire to share an experience with your child or to introduce them to something new. If you wish for your kid to see what an e-scooter is like, there are kiddie and toddler versions available, and you can ride in tandem.

If you opt for this, make sure you also invest in safety gear both for the child and yourself. Only riders under 16 are legally bound in some countries and states to wear a helmet, but you should, too. Consider buying knee and elbow pads for the child as well, especially if you know them to be prone to accident or particularly unbalanced.

Because they’re so accessible and widely popular, there is a tendency to regard electric scooters as toys, and the lack of strict legislation for them enforces this impression. While they’re nowhere near motorcycles or even mopeds in terms of driveability, safety precautions and overall ease of use, they are still motorized vehicles and due caution is needed.

Since the rise in popularity of electric scooters, there’s also been a boost in scooter-related injuries – mostly head injuries, fractures and cuts. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends that children under 16 should not be allowed to operate or ride adult versions of e-scooters.

When they do get on one, children and adults should wear protective gear and appropriate shoewear (laced up, no exposed toes). The use of earbuds is not recommended, and riders shouldn’t text and drive, or operate the e-scooters under the influence. E-scooters are not allowed on highways, and should ideally be used only on bike lanes and not on the pavement.

Most importantly, small children shouldn’t be placed on them with an adult rider. Or you risk losing them at the first bump in the road.