It’s important to keep active even in the colder weather and scooting is a great way to encourage your children to get off the sofa.

But as autumn and winter bring with it darker evenings, misty mornings and rainy pavements, it’s important for you and your children to be safe, too.

To ensure that you and your child have everything you need to travel safely at this time of year, here's some safe scooting tips for all the family.

How To Perform A Scooter MOT

Here's how to perform a scooter MOT:

• Spin the wheels on your scooter – to make sure they go round easily and do not stick
• Check that your wheels don’t wobble from side to side.
• The steering should turn easily and your height adjustment lever should be secure.
• Check the end of your handlebars are covered otherwise it could be dangerous if you fall on them.
• Push the scooter’s brakes – the wheels should stop going round.
• Check the bolts holding the wheels in are securely fastened – you should do this regularly to prevent the wheels from falling off.
• Make sure your safety helmet fits securely and that the strapping is not frayed or worn.
• Spray the wheel bearings and the folding block of your scooter once a week with WD40 - this will help to prevent the bearings from ceasing up and it will make sure the folding mechanism operates smoothly.
• These quick checks done regularly will make sure your child’s scooter is in perfect working condition which means the scooter itself will last longer, but more importantly, you can be reassured that your child is on a safe scooter.

Leaving The House With Your Scooter

Make sure you have the following before leaving the house with your scooter. You need:

• Helmets to be safe
• Lights to be seen
• Bells to be heard.

Once you’re kitted out and dressed up to go, make sure your children are aware of safe scooting and the importance of being safe and being seen.

Ten Top Tips For Safe Scooting

1. Always ensure you wear a helmet when scooting
2. Use your brake to stop / slow down
3. Don’t scoot off, either wait for your mum/dad to catch up or scoot back to them
4. Always get off your scooter when you cross the road
5. Be courteous to other pavement users. Move over to allow them space, or stop if there’s not enough room for you both to pass
6. Always listen out for cars as they could be reserving out their driveway
7. Look out for changes of pavement surfaces, these can cause you to go faster / slower than expected
8. Keep away from the edge of the pavement, scoot on the inside of the pavement away from the road
9. Be careful scooting after it has been raining, especially over manhole covers as they will be very slippery
10. Ensure you wear bright clothing, or reflective jackets, and put a light on your scooter so you can be seen – this is especially important in winter months

Once You've Read Our Scooter Safety Tips:

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