Mandatory license and insurance for mobility scooters

Surely there are bigger fish to fry? I had a mobility scooter when I had a foot operation and it was so painfully slow (slower than walking pace) I rarely used it. I gave up when it couldn't get up my street, which is on a hill, and I got stranded until DH got home.

Another example of hatred towards those who use means of mobility other than cars, where at least 25% of those who hold a licence are unfit to do so. See also the anti-cyclist threads.

Having regulations as to materials, speed, behaviour etc I support as I would for scooters, cycles and other small means of mobility. Though it would be secondary to those I would introduce or change for cars, such as you having to pass a driving test in an SUV before you can drive one.

It's a ridiculous idea.

It's yet more red tape for an almost nonexistent problem. You'd end up with a system where most older people (and some younger ones) would lose their independence because insurers would make rates unaffordable.

Younger people have disabilities too….

I'm not sure what your point is?

There seem to be, in this area, an increasing number of mobility scooters ridden/driven by people who are not elderly, but have mobility difficulties for other reasons.

How fast does a pram travel? How heavy are they?

Yep, we should all stay quietly at home where we can't inconvenience anyone or remind the able bodied that this might be them one day.

I don't use a mobility scooter yet. But I'll think it fair to be tested, licensed and insured when every other pavement user does too. Cyclists bombing past on shared paths, commuters pushing past at the station, scooter riders weaving in and out, dog owners with their beasties on trip wires across the path, and most of all the huge number of pedestrian phone zombies who no longer look where they're going.

As someone with mobility issues, my journey to work on city paths feels like a daily assault course with peril on every corner. I am dreading having to use a scooter but maybe I should look forward to the day I become the peril again.

I got driven into by a mobility scooter. I was stopped waiting to cross at a junction and they just drove straight into the back of me. Luckily I was only bruised but it wasn't pleasant. I think they just need to be sensibly speed limited.

You don't need a licence to use a bike and they can cause horrible injuries to pedestrians too

I was going to say the same, the ones who drive down the middle of the road do my head in. I appreciate pavements are shit but it is neither safe nor sensible to drive them on the road.

I think they should be fitted with sensors that will automatically break if getting too close to something, and have to be manually over-ridden at a speed of 0.5mph (eg if the person needs to get right up to their chair or bed).

Insurance is usually through household insurance. Personal liability, then the scooter is specifically named because it is over the valuable items threshold. Breakdown / puncture assistance is also a thing.

I'm against license and insurance. Most people with have liability insurance anyway. Even if they don't they are liable for damages so you could sue them for any damage (small claims court or higher). The hard bit is getting their name and address and witnesses. Scooters are usually used locally though, and the hire ones in seaside resorts or tourist attraction places have identifier numbers for this reason.

We don't need more laws, we need enforcement of the ones we have.

… which are lighter and less likely to cause harm.

It doesn’t have to be all or nothing, starting with the most potentially dangerous one seems to make sense, doesn’t it?

Oh do fuck off. Ive been rammed into my prams way more than a disabled person doing their shopping.

Jesus. Give people a break. Accidents happen walking into someone too.

In most countries personal liability insurance is mandatory or at least socially very much expected. I hated it at first, but it makes so much sense. Mobility scooters, red wine on your friend's new sofa, your kid dropping their mate's phone, so many things you see on MN would just go through the insurance, no fuss or bad feeling.

Yes. As long as we have them for cyclists, E-scooters etc. as well 🙂

Has anyone got any recommendations for where to get insurance for this? DH has just got one and we finally can now go out again. I hadn't given insurance a thought.

I don't agree. I'd say insurance is essential - imagine you were hospitalised and lost your income after being knocked down. And maybe the insurance could be reduced if you've done some basic training. But a licence feels like overkill, yes. We should avoid placing unnecessary barriers to mobility but equally we have to make sure people are safe.

I don't have a mobility scooter but I do have an electric wheelchair.

In shops I'm constantly saying on repeat

"Hi there, excuse me, wheelchair coming through, watch out please,"

People are often in a world of their own and I have to stop and literally shout very loudly at them to get them to move and let me through.

Some of these mobility scooters are huge nowadays and to be frank many are a fucking nuisance. They are too fast and manynofnthe owners take no care where they are going and couldn't give a monkeys about anyone else. The same with electric bikes and electric scooters, people have been seriously injured and even killed
As for the "14 year old in the electric wheelchair" is there any reason why he/she shouldn't respect the rights of others to be barged into and injured?

They can be s menace. I too have mobility problems and walk with a stick. I can't just skip out of the way of a 32 inch wide mobility scooter coming at me at speed on a pavement already cluttered with signs, bus shelters, trees, cars parked with wheels on it

So far I've been lucky and had time and space to hobble out of the way. So far...

They do seem to be used by a few who decide they are the lorry’s of the paths beep beep and your expected to jump out the way as they are not stopping or slowing.

a quick google and a dm article..

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13147529/amp/Mobility-scooters-involved-crashes-day-100-seriously-hurt-nine-killed-year-shocking-data-reveals.html

That's why the larger ones require a driving licence and insurance to use (on the road, not the pavement, too) and the smaller, slower ones don't.

There's a lady who uses it on the road around here. She holds the traffic up in an awful way. She drives in the centre of the lane too. It's a very serious accident waiting to happen