For UK’s Road Safety Week, our top tips on how to scoot safely

Even when the days shorten and temperatures drop in the UK, our scooters don’t go into hibernation, and neither should you! However, there are ways in which you can stay seasonally safe and savvy on a scooter. That is why, for the UK’s Road Safety Week, and the rest of shivery seasons, here are ten ways in which we can still enjoy the outdoors, safely and sustainably, on an e-scooter.

1. If you ride our latest Voiager 4 model, it has turn indicators with 360° visibility, designed to increase your presence to other road users. So, during winter months, it’s important to keep them twinkling when you’re turning.

2. Visibility is key in winter so, in addition to the reflectors built into all our e-scooters, get some high-visibility clothing. In the UK, for example, you can buy some glowing gear from our award-winning partners Proviz® with a 20% discount with the code VoiTech20 for our UK riders. Don’t be a vulnerable Voiager, be a visible one.

3. We always recommend wearing a helmet, but in winter months it’s better to add a light on it too. Voi has been distributing free helmets to its riders during the UK safety events and in the UK, if you buy a Monthly Pass, you can get a folding helmet from Closca one for free. Light up, light up, says our snow patrol.

4. If it’s nippy or icy, decrease your speed and avoid taking abrupt turns. You can pretend you’re a newbie and switch on Beginner’s mode on our app. In the UK, your speed is automatically reduced to 10mph for all of your ride time. If the road or cycle lane is wet or slippery we advise users to get off the scooter and walk until the area is clean, dry and clear.
   
    

    

5. Keep a close eye on the road surface as potholes or icy spots can appear out of nowhere. It’s not a good look to go splashing through puddles at speed either, soaking pedestrians. We are an eco-friendly mode of transport, so keep it friendly.

6. Our scooters are designed in Sweden and so, when it comes to winter, we’ve got this. OK, so we may not have heated seats, but our scooters do have hydraulic suspension and large, high-quality tyres that increase shock absorption and ease the impact from potholes.

7.  We also encourage users to take part in our online traffic school, RideLikeVoila, developed in collaboration with NTF (National Society for Road Safety in Sweden), certified by Vias Institute (Belgian Road Safety Institute) and endorsed by DriveTech AA. In the UK we are also hosting regular safety webinars, which now include winter safety tips.

8. Rest assured that our engineers are winter wise. We will ensure lights, reflectors and brakes are working perfectly to keep you safe at all times.

9. As the festive season kicks in, remember that drinking and driving an e-scooter is illegal. We have a quick reaction test that you can take on your Voi app if you have had a drink. In short, if you fail it, leave it.

10. Huddling up may be a way to stay warm, but not on a Voi e-scooter. Tandem riding is illegal. So stay solo, safe and keep the cuddles for after.

Jason Wakeford, Head of Campaigns at Brake, the road safety charity which runs UK Road Safety Week said: “Road Safety Week is the UK’s biggest annual road safety campaign and is a great opportunity to speak up for road safety. This year everyone can acknowledge and celebrate the heroic efforts of people working to save lives on roads across the country – and recognise that we can all be road safety heroes by using roads safely and taking actions for road safety in our families, schools, communities and where we work. We would urge everyone to visit the Road Safety Week website for loads of ways to take part in the campaign all this week.”