Some Scooter Disadvantages

Scooters are fast becoming a popular Philippine transportation today. However, there are some disadvantages in using scooters. A careful consideration of these disadvantages would help make scooters still a much preferred Philippine transportation.

Scooters are too light to take on major roads, let alone on highways. They can easily be side-swept by fast cars especially in Philippine major thoroughfares. Trucks are much heavier side-weepers that pose a greater danger to scooters. This light transportation is often taken in fast lanes where it virtually becomes impossible for scooters to assume effective defensive driving. Scooter-riding on major roads and highways poses a great danger to both its passengers and other motorists. The wise thing is to keep scooters on secondary roads and minor street systems.

Scooters are easy transportation targets for car-nappers and car-jackers. There have been many instances in Philippine transportation of scooters snatched or grabbed from owners. The same is true with parked scooters. Transportation thieves can easily get away with such light transportations. Some car-nappers load them in small vans and easily get away without being noticed. So the safe thing to do is to use scooters only in safe and secure vicinities, and keep them parked inside the house or in buildings.

Scooters expose its passengers to the elements. This transportation mode offers no protection to its riders against rain, searing heat from humidity and nearby vehicular engine heat, harmful sunlight, dust, pollution, and flying debris. Helmets and jackets or raincoats are not enough transportation protection, especially in extreme cases. Water splashes from accumulated water on streets are also potential dangers to this open transportation vehicle.

So it’s best to schedule travel on a scooter on sunny days, early in the morning and late in the afternoon. Aside from wearing a gas mask, helmet and jacket, bring an emergency raincoat and a pair of boots as a regular transportation preparation. And make sure to plan a transportation route that affords plenty of sheds and covers, like a tree studded lane and tall buildings along the road.

Finally, scooters cannot accommodate a family. They are inappropriate as a family transportation, or even for simple family roaming in the park. Most importantly, scooters cannot be used for emergencies. It can hardly be used to rush a pregnant mother to the hospital, or a seriously ill or injured patient.

Scooters are a good Philippine transportation option to meet the growing challenges of traffic in the country. But there are disadvantages that need to be remedied to keep scooters a wise option.