So, you or your kid want an electric scooter. You can get an electric scooter for someone as a birthday gift or an alternative to the bike they’ve outgrown. You might want to give your kids a new riding experience, and an electric scooter is an excellent choice in this respect.
Not only are they fun to zoom around on, but they also make close-range travel highly economical and environment-friendly, as opposed to a fossil fuel burning car. They may even make the daily school commute easy and fun for your kids.
Whatever your reasons, we have come up with some things to consider, including safety, pricing, local laws, and how these scooters differ from adult electric scooters, to help you better understand electric scooters for your kids.
Things to Consider With Electric Scooters for Kids
Here are some key things to consider with electric scooters for kids. Consider these points when you are choosing a suitable electric scooter for your children.
How They Differ From Adult Electric Scooters
Like most things for kids, electric scooters for kids are designed with kids in mind specifically. Therefore, they are slightly different from an adult electric scooter you may prefer for yourself. At first glance, they may seem the same, but subtle differences set them apart.
Overall, you will find that electric scooters for kids have some features dialled down from their adult counterparts to optimize the scooter for children and bring down the pricing. For instance, you may quickly notice that electric scooters for kids typically lack indicators since they are not meant for use in traffic or major roads.
Kids’ electric scooters also have lighter frames to make them easier to handle. You may also notice that the battery inside the scooter is smaller than typical adult electric scooters.
This concession is made to help reduce further weight, and since kids weigh less and there are fewer LED lights to power, the smaller battery makes up for what it loses in size. The battery life on these scooters is just as good as their adult counterparts.
While kids’ scooters’ motor performance is just as good as adult scooters, you may notice that they have less power, and this is done to limit the speed and ensure rider safety. You won’t find these aspects and features in all electric scooters for kids, and it all depends on the model and its intended age group.
Age and Weight
Since your choice of electric scooter for kids depends on the weight and height of the rider, age is a guiding factor for buying one, and it will dictate the speed, performance, and features on offer.
Most electric scooters for children are smaller, lighter, and have lower speeds for better safety. However, this means they usually have a weight limit they can manage. To avoid overloading the scooter’s motor, you will need to consider this weight.
It must account for your child and anything they need to carry on the scooter, like a school bag or other heavy items.
If your kid has a larger physique or is close to the weight limit of an electric scooter for kids, you may want to consider their growth and opt for an adult scooter. It will help them enjoy the scooter long-term and offer more value for your investment.
Pricing
The cost of an electric scooter for kids can be a concern for most parents. Luckily, these scooters are not nearly as expensive as adult electric scooters because of their lower specs and features. There are also plenty of great value-for-money options well in the budget for most Australian parents.
You should also consider the money you will save on fossil fuels when your kids start making their commutes on their electric scooters. Typically, budget-friendly scooters pay for themselves within a year of fuel savings on your car travel.
Safety Considerations
All children are precious, which is why their safety is the primary concern for any parent. Regarding child safety on electric scooters, you want to consider the additional things you may need like helmets, knee and elbow pads, grip gloves, and other such safety products.
Since electric scooters for kids have limited LED lights to bring down pricing, you may also want to consider things like reflectors and front or back LED lights. They will help increase your kids’ visibility, especially if they ride outdoors past the evening.
While you may have to buy these products separately, they are not too expensive and are well worth investing in for your children’s safety.
Maintenance
Maintenance of the electric scooter is important to increase its longevity; however, it is even more important to maintain the safety of your kids. Almost all electric scooters for kids are low maintenance, and they are easy to maintain.
Consider checking the tire conditions regularly for tread depth and replace them time when they are worn out. Similarly, check the user manual for replacement times like brake pads or batteries and replace them on time.
Local Laws
You may already know that adult electric scooters have rules and regulations depending on which Australian state you are in, and they aren’t just limited to kids. Did you know that there are rules and regulations for kids as well?
You will have to consider these local rules and regulations when your kids ride electric scooters in Australia. You can check your local road traffic laws to ensure how these rules apply to kids in your state.
Some common points found in these laws are age restrictions, speed limits, mandatory helmets, maximum power outputs, and scooter sizes. Some states consider electric scooters for kids as recreational devices, which means they may not ride them in bicycle lanes or roads, only on footpaths.
You will want to consider all such local rules before you opt for electric scooters for your kids. These rules are meant for safety, and they shouldn’t be a problem. You need to know them and teach your kids about them to maximize their safety.
Conclusion
If your kids are growing up and they have forgotten their bicycles, it may be time to rekindle their love for riding by introducing an electric scooter in their lives. At the very least, it will help get them away from video games, TV, or other unhealthy pastimes.
If you ride an adult electric scooter, it may spur a family activity where your kids can join you on a daily or weekly ride along. It will also encourage your kids to socialize as they’ll make friends and ride buddies when they are outside, zooming around the neighbourhood or park.
Best of all, electric scooters can be a practical and economical option for travelling to school, their mates’ place, or their regular extracurricular activity.