Were you lucky enough to unwrap a new e-bike or e-scooter for the holidays? Follow these top five tips to stay safe while enjoying your new ride.

1. Follow the rules of the road. E-bikes must follow the same rules as pedal-powered bikes, including Carlsbad-specific rules designed to improve safety.
2. Wear a helmet.
3. Stop for pedestrians.
4. Use the bike lane if one is available unless turning or passing.
5. Always use lights at night. Make sure you have a white front light and a red rear reflector at minimum.

Safely charge and store your device and batteries
The lithium-ion batteries that power e-bikes and e-scooters can spark fires and explode if used improperly. Stay safe with these 10 tips:

1. Store e-bikes, e-scooters and batteries outside of your living space, away from exit doors and anything that can get hot or catch fire.
2. Purchase and use devices that are listed by a qualified testing laboratory (such as UL or Interek).
3. Avoid buying after-market batteries and charging devices that are not listed or made for the device.
4. Take the manufacturer’s instructions seriously.
5. Don’t exceed the recommended charging time, and don’t keep charging the battery after it is fully charged.
6. Stop using the lithium-ion battery if you notice an odor, change in color, too much heat, change in shape, leaking or odd noises.
7. Only use the battery and the charger that was designed for and came with the device.
8. Only charge devices on hard surfaces, not soft surfaces, and don’t exceed the recommended charging time.
9. Do not leave batteries and devices unattended while charging.
10. Make sure to place batteries into the device correctly.

More tips and information
Traffic safety tips