Should You Insure Your E-Scooter?

The reason E-scooter Insurance is important in this era is due to their convenience and versatility, the number of individuals who own e-scooters has skyrocketed. In the US, e-scooter trips have grown to 63% of total micromobility trips. This is because e-scooters allow riders to navigate through vast and highly congested urban environments. In fact, our post on the ‘Best Long Range Electric Scooter in 2022’ even mentioned that e-scooters can travel up to 100 miles.

But as with any vehicle, owning an e-scooter still entails serious responsibility. After all, you share the road with pedestrians and motorists alike. That being said, having insurance in place allows you to be prepared against potential issues.

This article will address whether or not you should insure your e-scooter, as well as the types of insurance you can get.

Do e-scooters require vehicle insurance?

Car insurance essentially offers you a recourse when your vehicle meets unexpected damages or is involved in unforeseen accidents. However, e-scooters insurance falls into a gray area. While a homeowner’s insurance usually covers bicycles, e-scooters have assistive motors which prevent them from being categorized as bikes. Allstate and Progressive, major e-scooters insurance carriers, also have yet to provide coverage for e-scooters.

Currently, a Bloomberg article showed that numerous cities have required private mobility service providers, like electric scooter rental sharing companies, to carry minimum insurance. Private e-scooter owners, fortunately, are also not without options that can protect their property. For one, you may use the insurance coverage you already have, such as property insurance (the details of which this article will discuss in the next section). Otherwise, you can add to your existing policy to protect yourself from possible scooter-related accidents. Of course, one thing you have to understand is that e-scooters insurance rates vary in each state. As it stands, only Texas and Illinois require electric scooter insurance in the US. Despite that fact, getting your e-scooter insured is imperative to avoid incurring unexpected losses.

What are the types of insurance e-scooter owners should consider?

Below is a list of insurance options that can protect your e-scooter, and, consequently, ensure you’re financially sound in the event of an accident.

Property insurance

Property insurance can cover your e-scooters insurance when natural disasters, like extreme weather, have caused damage. Sound Dollar clarifies that property insurance has three types of coverage, and these correspond to different levels of evaluation. One of which is the total replacement cost, which covers all repair fees for your e-scooter. Property insurance is ideal if you live in an area prone to flooding or forest fires. In the event that your e-scooter catches on fire and is rendered completely unusable, for instance, you don’t have to worry about steep replacement costs.

Bodily injury liability insurance

Despite riding your e-scooter safely, there are always risks of colliding with a fellow e-scooter rider, motorist, or pedestrian. A study published by NCBI reported that 1,354 people were injured by e-scooters. Among these individuals, 29% required advanced imaging, while 6% required inpatient admission. When you’re at fault for an e-scooter accident, bodily injury liability insurance can help meet the injured party’s medical bills. This also prevents you from paying for the affected party’s care with your own savings.

Personal injury protection insurance

Yet another option that can support medical bills is personal injury protection insurance. This is beneficial when you sustain injuries from e-scooter crashes due to damaged roads or uneven pavements. Aside from hospital expenses, personal injury protection insurance also offers coverage for lost wages and funeral costs. And thankfully, this also takes effect when you’ve had a collision, regardless of who caused it.

Uninsured/underinsured motorist insurance

The referenced NCBI study found that a lot of e-scooter riders who were injured by other riders were relatively inexperienced. Even worse is that some of these drivers didn’t carry auto insurance policies. This is why you should purchase uninsured/underinsured motorist insurance. Despite the driver’s inability to pay for damages, you can remain financially ready and minimize out-of-pocket expenses.

Practicing road safety is crucial for e-scooter riders. To be prepared for unexpected accidents, however, getting your e-scooter insured is a great way to be protected and empowered.

John Carry
Electric Scooters Reviews & Buying Guide
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