DANGERS OF ELECTRIC SCOOTERS

[Anchor Lead]

Fires involving electric scooters have been on the rise in the recent days. Most of the accidents occurred when the scooters were being charged at home. Authorities are urging the users of electric scooters to exercise caution.

[Pkg]

The entire apartment is filled with smoke. The blaze began in an electric scooter on the balcony. A week ago, a similar fire occurred in an electric riding board that uses a battery. As in the previous case, the cause of the inferno was an overcharged battery. As the use of electric riding devices using batteries continues to rise, more and more fires involving them are being reported, reaching 22 in the past four years.

[Soundbite] KIM JUNG-KEUN(BUSAN NAMBU FIRE STATION) : "When a battery is recharged for too long, its separation membrane becomes damaged by overcharging and excess current, causing electricity to flow uncontrollably, resulting in a fire."

Caution is required when charging batteries in order to prevent fires.

[Soundbite] CHUNG JUNG-YONG(REPAIR SPECIALIST) : "Users usually charge their equipment like they charge their phones, and even do it at night when they are asleep. They should keep an eye on the charging process constantly, and remove the plug when the device is fully charged to keep it safe."

To protect batteries from being damaged, riders should avoid exposing their vehicles to mechanical shocks and receive checkups if their device's battery life gets shorter or there are other battery-related problems.