Scooters

More and more people of all ages are riding scooters to school, work or for short trips. As well as having fun on a scooter, with training they can learn important and useful skills. In addition to a schools programme, we are piloting adult training, safety resources and demos at events around the region.

Scooter Ready in schools

These free 60 minute sessions focus on key skills, such as:

• Set up (wearing the right gear and checking your scooter)
• Stopping safely and with control
• Sharing the footpath
• Skills such as gliding, switching and looking out for hazards
• Watching out for ‘sneaky driveways’, and
• What to do at pedestrian crossings and intersections.

Scooter Ready is supported by Micro Scooters NZ and is offered for children in years 3-4 as part of the Wellington region’s School Travel Plan Programme, which is a partnership between schools, Territorial Authorities, NZ Police and the Regional Council, supporting communities to promote safe and active travel. 

Many of these skills are essential for all kinds of travel, whether it’s scooting, walking, cycling, skateboarding, or – in years to come – driving. Helping kids to become street smart gives parents more confidence to let their kids travel independently. And the more kids who scoot, walk, or cycle to school, the less traffic congestion at school gates and on our roads, which is good for other road users and the environment.

The Scooter Ready Programme is available alongside the Pedal Ready cycle skills programme with the latter being delivered to students in years 5-8. Our instructors deliver Pedal Ready in the morning blocks and Scooter Ready in the afternoon block on the same days.

Programme content

Safety awareness

• What to wear when scooting – helmet and covered shoes (no jandals!)
• Setting up your scooter – handlebar height, clamps and brake
• Choosing safe places to scoot – avoid driveways and other hazards
• Being aware of others in shared spaces.

Skills for safer scooting

• Being able to stop safely and quickly
• Foot positioning on the deck for balance and braking
• Changing the foot with which you kick
• Cornering safely - protect against falls and foot injuries

Equipment

The instructors may bring Micro helmets and Micro scooters for the students to use for the sessions.

Venue

We need a court sized area. Either an outdoor area or indoor hall are ideal. In case of rain it is preferable to have an indoor back-up if an outdoor area is planned. Alternately a “rain date” can be arranged.

Duration

The sessions are run during class time. A 50-60 min block is ideal but we are happy to work within your usual timetable.  

Bookings

In the Wairarapa please contact the school travel planner. 

For all other parts of the region, please contact the Pedal Ready team to book your Scooter Ready sessions alongside Pedal Ready. 

Note: at this stage we only offer scooter skills in the afternoon block after our instructors have delivered cycle skills in the morning.

In order to organise instructors for your groups we will need to know:

1. Which dates you would prefer (and any alternate choices or rain dates as well)?
2. How many groups/classes of children and how many in each group (up to 25 per group)?
3. What times your breaks are?
4. Any special needs of the students who will be participating?