Scooter education important in town

Members of the Lovell Town Council brought up a subject during last week’s July council meeting that bears some consideration: scooters and their growing presence in our community.

The electric objects of conveyance for kids are becoming more and more common on our streets, growing in number from month to month.

Scooters are a great, fun way for kids to get around, and we can certainly see their appeal. They’re cool, and they zip – but that’s part of the problem. Scooters can travel upwards of 25 miles per hour, and let’s just say that some of their drivers aren’t the best at paying attention to where they’re going and what might be coming at them as they “scoot” around town. Many don’t obey traffic laws.

We would venture to guess that many, if not most, drivers in town have had a close encounter with a scooter at one time or another, and only by sharp reflexes or sheer luck has disaster been avoided. The devices and their riders can pop out from behind a parked car or emerge from a side street without warning, very often while blowing through a stop sign.

And with little protection for the rider, a collision with a vehicle can do great harm. Some riders don’t wear helmets.

We have already heard of scooter riders breaking an arm or getting banged up with a fall – without colliding with a car or pickup -- and it is important for our community to take proactive action to see that something worse doesn’t happen.

Thankfully, the Lovell Police Department and the Town of Lovell are on it. Chief Roger Haney points out that scooter riders must follow the same traffic laws as car drivers, just like bicycle riders must. Education is the key, and plans are underway to provide education to kids.

But it must start at home first. We urge parents to sit down with their kids and explain that they must stop at stop signs, yield to cars and follow other traffic rules. Kids also need to realize that it is important for them to watch out for cars, because kids on scooters are small, and car drivers often can’t see a scooter coming. Helmet use is a must, as well.

Police are in an education mode and don’t want to start citing kids. And the town doesn’t want to have to ban scooters in town, which would be a last resort. It’s far better for parents and riders to take measures to be safe.

If we as parents and a community can handle this properly, kids will be able to stay safe and have fun at the same time. And that is the ultimate goal. Stay alert and pay attention all.

— David Peck