The risk is lower on a scooter than on a motorcycle. We don't have to over-correct though, and treat scooters like they're _that much_ safer than a motorcycle.

The most dangerous thing we can do is let ourselves mentally relax when we're on one, as if we're not on a big sharp chunk of (relatively) fast metal and inertia.

A helmet wearing person slamming headfirst into the nape of somebody's neck at 15 or 50 miles per hour is probably going to kill them.

  The risk is lower on a scooter than on a motorcycle. 

On the road, yes. But motorcycles don't routinely take the sidewalks.

The pedestrian won't hear the scooter coming.