My Daughter Wants to get a Scooter!

Ah, the images of a little green scooter next to an apartment. It conjures up the ideas of riding along a beautiful tree lined French boulevard with the wind blowing through your hair.  You have a fresh baguette and a bottle of fine wine along for the ride. You drive along looking for a little park to set up a picnic and enjoying your cheese and bread in the sunshine. That does sound nice and I think I could get on board with the bread, wine and cheese thing!
But, when your daughter calls you and says "Daddio, I'm thinking about getting a scooter".  The thoughts of a young woman on a this tiny motorized bike riding through New York City streets next to trucks and all those cars that are honking away, it doesn't sit very well with "Daddio". 
You have to love youth. Nothing bad can happen to you when you are young. You take chances that at an older age seem kinda stupid. Well, you just hope your daughter survives to look back on those days and she quickly realizes that the cheap scooter she bought maybe wasn't the greatest idea. 
My family had a yellow moped when I was growing up. Both my brother and sister managed to have accidents on that thing. My brother dislocated his arm while trying to drive across a grass field.  I remember him limping home with that floppy arm. No worries, surgery and a few screws later it's as good as new. My sister's accident happened when she hit a patch of sand and the bike slid out from underneath her. She almost got run over by a car that was following behind. And, she had the pleasure of picking asphalt and sand out of her legs for months. Good times there!
When it comes to riding a two wheel vehicle you need to take multiple things into account. The first thing to consider is how safe are these bikes? They do stop faster than cars, they also accelerate faster. They turn better, they get better gas mileage. But, the big issue is who they are sharing the road with. If you are a recreational biker you probably know to get your ride in early and get home before the bad drivers wake up. If you commute on a motorcycle you know that you have to drive completely on the defensive. Watching where cars are going and preparing to avoid cars that don't see you. 
When it comes to insurance there are lots of things to consider. Almost all bikes, scooters and mopeds require insurance to be on the road. So, you'll need to get yourself a motorcycle insurance policy. You should also consider life insurance and personal injury insurance too. And you better have decent health insurance.
Insurance companies recognize how dangerous riding two wheel vehicles are. Most insurance companies will offer limited or no medical payments as an option on your policy. The medical pay coverage protects the drivers of the vehicle regardless of who is at fault. By limiting their exposure they are able to offer a policy for the motorcyclist at a reasonable cost.  One thing you'll want to max out your under-insured motorist coverage. That coverage would protect you if you got hit by someone who has minimal liability limits or no insurance at all. 
If you are considering getting a scooter or motorcycle taking a driver safety course should be mandatory. Knowing the proper way to drive, brake and take evasive action is very important. The proper safety equipment is also important. In Europe people who ride motorcycles wear full leathers even on hot days. From head to toe they wear special safety equipment similar to what professional motorcycle racers wear on the track. That goes a long way to protect them if they end up sliding down a freeway at 60 mph. When I see people out here wearing a t-shirt and jeans I cringe.  And a helmet is oh so important. Get the most expensive one you can afford, you only have one brain. 
In summery, make sure your insurance is all paid up. Motorcycle Insurance, health insurance, life insurance and personal injury insurance.  Take a safety course and wear protective equipment from head to toe.  Call me to get a quote on your new bike today, I'll even throw in a free life insurance quote. 951-395-0754