Abu Dhabi: Electric scooter riders must wear protective gear, police warn

Abu Dhabi: Electric scooter riders must wear helmets, knee bumpers and reflective clothing at night for their safety, Abu Dhabi Police have warned.

They must also avoid tying these scooters to signposts or light poles when not using them, but park them in designated spaces in a manner that does not obstruct the smooth flow of traffic.

Awareness campaign

The directives have recently been communicated to scooter riders as part of a new awareness campaign that aims to ensure the safety of scooter riders and other road users.

Brigadier General Mohammed Dhahi Al Hamiri, Director of the Abu Dhabi Police Traffic and Patrols Directorate, said scooter riders must adhere to all safety instructions regarding the safe use of electric scooters.

As part of the campaign, traffic officers reached out to scooter riders and shared awareness videos with them. They also handed out free helmets to some riders in order to promote safe scooter use.

Electric scooter use

Here are all the directives highlighted by Abu Dhabi Police for rider safety:

— Wear the appropriate protective gear, including helmets and knee bumpers. At night, it is highly encouraged to wear reflective clothing, so that riders are visible to other road users.

— Give priority to vehicular traffic at intersections.

— Reduce speeds around pedestrians.

— Maintain sufficient safety distance from other bikes, scooters and pedestrians.

— Ride only on designated pathways and avoid spaces and areas meant for vehicular traffic.

— Never hold on to other vehicles or trailers when riding a scooter as it is strictly prohibited.

— Do not ride against the direction of traffic flow.

— Do not tie up electric scooters to light poles or signposts; instead park them in designated spaces in a manner that does not obstruct traffic flow.