How To Stay Safe When Riding An Electric Skateboard

As fun as electric skateboards are, they can also be dangerous if not used responsibly. This is eSkate Hub’s guide to staying safe while riding an electric skateboard.

Cruising down a long beach road with the wind softly pressing against your face is one of the most liberating feelings in the world.

Electric skateboarding is super fun and it’s easy to just jump on one and get going, but we need to remember that it is really important to always keep safety in mind.

But in all seriousness, safety should be your number one priority when riding an electric skateboard. Not just for yourself but for the sake of your family, friends and the people around you.

Here’s my top tips for exercising safety when riding your favourite electric longboard or skateboard:

Don’t Forget To Wear A Helmet

This is one of your mother’s favourite sayings and probably for good reason. Ever since we were kids, learning to ride a bicycle for the first time, we’ve always worn a helmet.

I’m personally thankful that my parents instilled the importance of wearing a helmet in me, because only just recently, I had an accident on my bicycle that landed me in hospital.

I was riding in the park racing my housemates dog, a border collie x whippet, which can move pretty quickly. I took my eyes off the path for a split second to check where she was.

Next thing I know, I’m flying head-first over the front of the handlebars. My head comes into contact with the concrete first, followed by my right shoulder before I even had time to put my hands out to brace my fall.

If I wasn’t wearing a helmet on that ride, I’m confident to say that I would not be sitting here typing this out right now.

The effectiveness of a helmet is controversial and a lot of research has been done to measure if a helmet protects the brain from injury during an accident. But it’s been proven that in low impact collisions, such as those that are more likely to occur when riding an electric skateboard, a helmet is very effective in preventing brain injury.

I would never ride without a helmet, ever.

More Protective Gear

Wearing a helmet is absolutely essential.

On top of that, I would always highly recommend you wear protective clothing like elbow and knee guards and a good set of gloves.

They will make all the difference between being able to get back up to ride again and having to take a visit to the ER to get stitched up.

Personally, I wear the whole shebang. Helmet, knee pads, elbow pads, gloves and even a protective t-shirt.

All of which you can get from Noblemantech who make amazing protective eskate gear.

Taking a fall means being out of action for weeks and I and my family can’t afford for that to happen.

I never risk it.

The Light Of Your Life

A major challenge of riding safely is being seen in the first place. Motorists and pedestrians often have tunnel vision when on their journey, so you need to make sure they can see you.

Without wearing fluoro from head to toe, the next best option to being seen is to attach a set of lights to your board and/or helmet.

To stress the importance of having board lights, here’s a fun fact for you from Holland-Cycling. When riding a bicycle in Holland, you’re not required to wear a helmet, however, it is illegal to ride without proper lights.

Ride At Your Own Ability

Everyone has a different riding ability and you should only ever ride as fast as you feel comfortable.

It will take time, but with practice you will eventually become more confident and you will be able to manage higher speeds without compromising your safety.

Start with the beginner setting on the electric skateboard remote and ride with that for a while. When you feel ready, move up to the next setting. Before you know it, you’ll be whizzing through the streets, feeling confident and safe.

Don’t Drink And Ride

Here’s a big one for you. Mayo Clinic says that 25% of all spinal cord injuries had alcohol as a participating factor. That’s a huge number! 1 in every 4.

Everyone knows how bad it is to drink and drive. Riding your eBoard after a few too many beverages is no different. You’re not only a danger to yourself but others too.

Expect The Unexpected

This is the equivalent of the defensive driving course that you would have taken when going for your drivers licence.

You can’t always expect everyone to adhere to the rules and to be safe on the roads or trails. For this reason, you must always be ready in the case someone comes out of nowhere.

Practicing this one out on the road has gotten me out of a couple of tight pickles in the past.