User guide
After a crash: 12-step inspection protocol for rider and e-scooter, single-impact helmet rule, what to do with a battery that took the hit
Step-by-step roadside protocol after an e-scooter crash: first 60 seconds for self-medical assessment and clearing the carriageway, fixed inspection order for the frame (deck, stem, fork, handlebar) — anchored to the Xiaomi M365 June 2019 recall (10,257 units, serial ranges 21074/00000316–21074/00015107 and 16133/00541209–16133/00544518, stem could fracture from a loose folding-mechanism screw under load), wheel free-spin test and brake-lever verification, **battery after mechanical impact as the central safety pillar** — Battery University BU-304a (mechanical abuse → potential heating, hiss, bulge; modern high-density 3,400 mAh cells with ≤24 µm separator films are more vulnerable than older 1,350 mAh designs); pre-vent signs (solvent smell, visible dent, swelling, popping, localized heat), 24–72 hour delayed thermal-runaway window (NFPA and fire-service monitoring of EV crash scenes 24–48 hours after initial signs), FSRI 2024 e-scooter freeburn test — ignition **13 seconds** after first visible smoke, fireball with 6–7 ft jet flame; folding mechanism and motor-cable routing checks, low-power 50–100 m safe-area test ride, **STOP-conditions** (bent stem, battery dent, brake-fluid loss), **single-impact helmet rule** (CPSC 16 CFR 1203.6(a)(4) warning-label mandate, EN1078:2012+A1 single-impact design, Snell B-95 5-year replacement window; PMC 8735878 — concussion-threshold impacts at 90–100g often leave no visible external damage, hence safer-to-replace policy), insurance claim photo documentation (Velosurance / Markel — 8 mandatory photos plus repair estimate plus written account plus receipts), 24–72 hour delayed checks (battery puffing, hairline frame cracks, brake-fluid contamination), psychological return-to-riding protocol. Sources, ENG-first: CPSC 16 CFR 1203.6(a)(4) via BHSI, PMC 8735878 (Williams et al., bicycle helmet damage visibility study), FSRI 2024–2025 e-scooter freeburn tests, Battery University BU-304a, Velosurance claims process, Xiaomi M365 recall portal + TechCrunch.