E-Scooter sales skyrocketed during the pandemic. With an effort to avoid public transit, and a little extra cash on hand from the stimulus checks, many people were looking for new ways to get around. Motorcycles are too expensive, and are seen as too dangerous by many people. Regular bikes require a lot of pedaling which can be a big turn off for some. For many people the perfect option to mix up their travel methods was an E-Scooter. It's fast, sleek, and affordable. Once they started to gain attention they took off and haven’t looked back. Now they are projected to be a $42 billion dollar industry by 2030.
In fact, they took off so fast that there is still some confusion as to how to handle them. Should they be used on the sidewalk, the bike lane, or the car lane? How old should you be to ride one? Do you need a license? One of the biggest questions surrounding E-Scooters is “Do I need to wear a helmet?” The short answer is yes. The long answer is yes of course. These scooters travel at very fast speeds and no matter how careful you are, an accident is always possible.
However, it's easy to see why there is confusion on this subject. No one is advertising E-Scooter helmets. There are ad’s for bike helmets, but they don’t tell you if they are compatible with E-Scooters. So that poses a new question: What kind of helmet should I wear if I’m riding an E-Scooter? Well, that answer isn’t quite as simple. For the most part, riders have to choose between a bike helmet and a motorcycle helmet, and neither one is a great option.
Standard bike helmets in the US follow the CPSC safety standard, which requires helmets to protect riders going up to 15mph. The typical E-Scooter is going closer to 30 mph, with most cities requiring a speed limit of 28 mph. A CPSC helmet really isn’t going to help you out if you are going twice as fast as the helmet can handle.
The other obvious option is a motorcycle helmet. It's built to protect people at speeds far faster than an E-Scooter can go, so it must be the better option right? Not really. Motorcycle helmets offer too much protection. Often, they weigh up to 3-5 pounds. A necessary component when you are traveling down the freeway at 60mph. Not so much when you are going for a nice sunday ride by the water. Not only that, but there is very little ventilation-which can ruin a nice summer ride.
That's why we adopted the NTA 8776 standard created by the Dutch. Designed specifically for personal electric vehicles, the NTA 8776 safety standard is the best standard for E-Bikes, E-Scooters, and any other personal electric vehicle. Weighing nearly the same weight as a standard bike helmet and with 10 ventilation holes, the XNITO helmet lets you maximize your safety without compromising your comfort.
Author: Benjamin Dai