Gainesville Accident Attorney Urges Motor Scooter Safety - Here is Why:

In the past two months, two major motor scooter accidents have occurred in the streets surrounding the University of Florida campus; one of which tragically resulted in a fatality. Being that the University of Florida is a campus-style school, many students rely on motor scooters as a means of transportation on the usually short distances that one must travel. Although scooters are a very easy mode of transportation and extremely easy to park around the University of Florida campus, one must remember that they are also very dangerous to drive. When riding a scooter, remember to do the following:

• Wear a Helmet: Although wearing a helmet is only legally required for riders under the age of 21, a rider of any age should always wear a helmet when riding on a motor scooter. Any sort of crash or accident while riding a motor scooter without a helmet leaves one’s head vulnerable to serious injury such as traumatic brain injury.      
• Follow all Traffic Rules: Compared to other vehicles on the road, scooters are very small, and therefore cannot handle impact in the same manner that cars do. People need to remember to drive safely and patiently while on a scooter. Any effort to stay safe is effort well spent.
• Avoid Riding Two to a Scooter: Although many scooters are made for passengers in addition to the driver, adding another passenger only increases the risk. Moving on the back of a scooter increases the difficulty of balancing and therefore increases the risk of accidents.

Fortunately, motor scooter accidents have decreased over the past year. Florida has seen a 9.97% decrease in motorcycle/scooter accidents and a 10.07% decrease in motorcyclist injuries.   As a Gainesville motor scooter and auto accident attorney that has seen first hand the tragedy that can result from scooter accidents, I urge safety first!

For more information on this important topic, please see: 

UF football players can be allowed to ride motor scooters without a helmet, but when they step on the field to play… they have to put on a helmet?!