Los Angeles County
Department of Public Health
Injury Violence and Prevention Program
3530 Wilshire Blvd. Suite 800
Los Angeles, CA 90010
Phone: (213) 351-7888
Fax: (213) 351-2713
Email: ivpp@ph.lacounty.gov
Scooter Safety
Rules
Since January 1, 2003, California law requires all youth, eighteen years of age and younger, who ride bicycles, non-motorized scooters, skateboards, or in-line or roller skates to wear a properly fitted and fastened helmet that meets the standards of either the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) or the U. S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC).
Basic Rules You Should Know
Protect your head. Always wear
a helmet-Its now the law!
Wear elbow and knee pads
Always ride your scooter during
the daytime
Stay away from sand, gravel,
water, and dirt that is on pavement
Ride on smooth surfaces
Always ride your scooter on the
sidewalk or paved off-road paths--keep away from cars and other
vehicles
Wear bright-colored clothes that
make you more visible
Stop and look each way before
crossing the street from the sidewalk, then when safe, walk your
scooter across-DO NOT ride across a street
Stay alert! Watch for potholes,
dogs, water, rocks and people.
Look both ways before crossing
alleyways and driveways.
Children younger than 5 years of
age should not use scooters. Their center of gravity is higher, their
neuromuscular system is not well developed, their judgment is poor,
and they are not sufficiently able to protect themselves from injury.
More developmentally appropriate activities need to be encouraged.