EUCs are becoming increasingly popular as a mode of transportation, but there is still much mystery surrounding their safety. So, are electric unicycles safe for beginners?
Any ride can be dangerous if you act carelessly and don’t take safety standards seriously. It’s the same with electric unicycles. If you’re not cautious enough, riding an electric unicycle can get tricky and lead to inappropriate situations.
To ensure this doesn’t happen, you must practice safe habits. However, some issues can arise due to the fault in manufacturing the electric unicycle itself. It can be due to battery damage or poor build quality.
We are going to dive deeper into the issues and look at whether an electric unicycle is safe or not. Let’s begin!
Are electric unicycles dangerous?
As mentioned above, it is up to the rider whether he acts smartly or takes less care of his movement while riding the unicycle. Suppose a rider isn’t keeping an eye on his movement and surroundings. In that case, this can get dangerous as it may lead to accidents or any potential injury.
Even in some news, the second reason was related to Electric Unicycles catching fire. This is probably because of low-quality manufacturing. The main reason for this issue was the very poor batteries in cheap electric unicycles.
These batteries can easily catch fire as they contain electric charges inside them because of the liquid electrolyte.
How to ensure electric unicycle safety
It is essential to ensure the safety of your rides as health risks should not be taken, especially when there can be a potentially life-threatening injury.
Make sure you don’t heat the main board, which has all the major components of your electric unicycle. To avoid this, don’t make your electric unicycle ride steep hills. This can put extra stress on your electric unicycle and damage the main board.
Usually, a safety alarm on most electric unicycles sounds when the device reaches its power limit. Whenever you hear the alarm, slow down your electric unicycle, and you can even stop the ride. If you don’t take this seriously, it can lead to injury.
To avoid any accident due to lack of practice or at your end, make sure to take these measures
1. Practice Regularly
Always practice regularly before riding an electric unicycle on roads or streets. Shifting the weight and making quick turns can be difficult, and if you haven’t practiced enough, it may lead to an accident.
2. Ride in an open area
Start riding on an obstacle-free area and a flat surface so you can first balance yourself properly.
3. Timely Maintainance
Always make sure that the parts of your electric unicycle are well maintained, especially the battery, as mentioned before.
4. Wear Protective Gear
Wearing protective gear, including a well-padded helmet and paddings, is necessary to avoid road rash or broken bones.
5. Follow Speed Limit
Remain within the speed limit and never increase it, as this might be dangerous for yourself and the community.
6. Avoid Harsh Weather
Electric unicycles can be difficult to control in harsh weather conditions and can easily result in an accident. For these reasons, it’s best to avoid riding your electric unicycle in bad weather.
7. Avoid steep slopes
Make sure that you don’t ride your unicycle uphill, which has a degree of more than 20%
By following these guidelines, you can minimize any danger by your side.
Are lithium-ion batteries inside electric unicycles dangerous?
Most of the electric unicycles in the market come with lithium-ion batteries, mainly involved in incidents related to electric unicycles.
Now, are they dangerous? Well, as discussed before, if your battery is of cheap quality, its positive and negative side separation is only by a thin film. When the liquid electrolyte inside is heated quickly, it catches fire.
Usually, the lithium-ion batteries inside your electric unicycle are safe, and there is a minimum risk of them catching fire. Reputable brands always make sure that the battery used is of high quality and is safe for use.
You can also take some measures to ensure that the battery health remains excellent and there is no risk of an explosion or burst.
How to maintain your battery’s health
- Avoid putting your electric unicycle in hot areas. This may cause the battery to heat up, and when you start to use the unicycle, the already present heat can cause a fire.
- Avoid getting flammable materials near your unicycle.
- When going for a maintenance check, look for the battery quality and health. This is important as you can change the battery if it gets weak or is of poor quality.
- If the battery gets swollen due to excessive use or any other reason, change the battery as soon as possible.
- Avoid charging your electric unicycle immediately after a ride or when it’s wet due to rain. Keep the unicycle at rest for a few minutes and if it’s wet, make sure to dry it before charging it.
- Make sure that the battery is not dirty or includes any debris.
- Charge the battery to 100%. If the battery level isn’t reaching 100%, this might signal that the cells are weak and the battery requires changing.
These tips are best for having a healthy battery and thus, reducing the chances of any fire or dangerous incidents.
Final Thoughts
To put it simply, electric unicycles are safe. Still, they can be dangerous by the carelessness of the rider and the lack of quality of their battery.
It must be ensured to follow proper safety habits and have a premium quality unicycle. It’s always better to spend some extra cash for safety rather than getting into dangerous situations.
