Are electric scooters safe?

So I was reading about an electric scooter company called Vectrix based out of Rhode Island. They produce an electric scooter that's comparable to a gasoline-powered one. It can reach up to 62 mph and can travel 65 miles between charges. The company only has one model out, the V1, and it's a bit pricy, over $5,000, but still cheaper than a car, both to buy and operate. It's also larger than most scooters and highway legal.But no one is buying them because they aren't available in many places. Apparently they were hoping Piaggio or another scooter company would buy the design from them, but it didn't flesh out. They are finally opening sales centers throughout the U.S.If I get a bigger scooter, I'd definitely prefer electric, but my  boyfriend brought up some good issues. I've heard of people with electric vehicles just plugging in to the first electric socket they could find, but don't people mind? Eventually as, or if, electric vehicles become more popular and prolific, those who have electric sockets out in the open and easily accessible might start getting big bills from their electric companies, unless the infrastructure is put in place at gas stations. I'd get a little annoyed as a home or business owner if someone just walked up to my house or business and plugged in their car or scooter.The other question my boyfriend raised is the safety of the vehicle in an accident.I looked it up and MSN autos had a good article talking about this subject. According to the editorial, it said emergency workers are currently taught to make sure the key is out of the ignition and the battery cables are cut on a gasoline powered vehicle before a rescue to make sure airbags don't suddenly deploy during a rescue, which could cause serious injury to EMTs and the injured. According to the editorial, hybrid cars and electric vehicles are designed so once there is no charge from the ignition, there is no charge running through the car. As for scooters, most of the time the injured party is far from the wreckage, so I don't see it as being a hazard to EMTs. Tow truck drivers and mechanics, on the other hand, would have to worry since they'd be dealing with the damaged system.But isn't there always a danger to them from a damaged vehicle? You might as well say gasoline powered cars are too dangerous because they can catch fire and they have toxic liquids leaking everywhere after a crash. So mechanics have a choice: get blown up or electrocuted. As mechanics, they should be well-versed on how all vehicles they might come in contact with should be handled and fixed, shouldn't they? A doctor wouldn't have any excuse for not knowing about a disease or how to treat it, aren't they supposed to keep up on the latest news and information to be an effective doctor?Personally, I think safety is a really weak argument against electric cars or scooters. No vehicle is going to be absolutely and undeniable safe. Even horses and carriages are full of danger, you can get run over by the horse or the carriage could go out of control and crash into a tree or over a cliff.I also found a blog post recently on "V is for Voltage Forums" about whether or not loud pipes save lives and if electric scooters and motorcycles had that against them in the safety arena. The poster, reikiman, made a good point, loud pipes don't always factor into whether a driver is paying attention before they slam into a motorcyclist. Regardless of whether your scooter or motorcycle is quiet or loud, safety really is depenedent on the cyclist because drivers just don't pay attention.