Electric Scooters

hi there, my kids (now grown) had one that still lives collecting dust in the garage. they LOVED it and my husband still enjoys taking it for a whirl every now and then! like you, i was concerned about the lack of exercise. however, my boys tend to be active and got plenty of boinging about anyway. scooters are not 'safe', but then nor are bicycles, ponies, trees, skateboards or boys at large. make 'em wear helmets, discuss safety, and if you see them being baboons, ground 'em.
i say go for it, and by the way, congrats on their fiscal responsibility! let them enjoy it.
:) khairete
S.

In a word, no, they are not safe. I worked for a major insurance company for many years and handled many claims involving kids on dirt bikes, electric scooters, etc. They are often not easy to see by motorists or accidently end up out in the road & getting hit. I refuse to allow my children to use them, but certainly this is your decision. If you do allow them to get it, please REQUIRE them to wear protective gear (especially a helmet) EVERY time they ride it. Good luck to you-parenting requires all sorts of tough decisions.

I would suggest checking your cities age restrictions. I think you have to be a certain age to ride them. I want to say in Norfolk you have to be 16 to ride them. I would check the laws and then go from there. I could be wrong but it seems like I heard this on the news when they first came out.

My son is 13 and likes to ride his friend's scooter (a couple of his friends aged 12-13 have these). I insist on a helmet, but scooters only go 30mph or less, which is really no worse than his bike. I have no problem with it as long as he stays away from busy streets and stays in our neighborhood.

According to VA law (I just looked this up):

* No moped/scooter may be driven on any highway where the speed limit is faster than 35 mph.

* Riders must be at least 16 years of age and obey all rules of the road.

* Every driver must carry a form of identification that includes his/her name, address, and date of birth.

* It is against the law to operate a moped while using earphones.

(From - http://www.dmv.org/va-virginia/other-types.php )

Hope this helps some.