to think that mobility scooters should not be allowed on pavements after one fractured my foot crashing into me today?

[Wigglewoo]

I was out with my ds 9 weeks earlier about to cross the road outside my nearest tescos when a very elderly lady in her mobility scooter came alongside me and proceeded to cross the road with me. For reasons known to her she then zig zagged in to me causing me to fall over and then dragged me into the kerb, with her still failing to apply the brakes despite me screaming at her to stop. I luckily managed to push the pram with ds in it half onto the pavement and out of the way (it could have been really very nasty had I not).

The woman still did not apply the brakes and to cut a long story short my foot was crushed between the kerb and her moving wheel, which then drove over me and only stopped when I effectively pushed her nearly over.

She said to me that she did not know what happened and that "it normally brakes when I let go of the handles" - ????

I spent the afternoon at hospital. I have a fractured ankle and lacerations to my leg. Dh has had to take time off work (which we will lose money for) to care for me and ds.

I was in shock after the incident so I didn't say anything much to the woman who was in her 80s or 90s I think but now I am home I am livid. I realise old people need to get around but surely they should have a sensible speed limit and shouldn't be on the pavements??? Its illegal to cycle on the pavement isn't it so how comes that's worse!? Or is it illegal!!? Confused!! And in pain!!!

I take my mobility scooter on buses - I have been trained by First and have a Permit we're not all bad drivers I've had a women crash in to me whilst i've been on my scooter and I was nowhere near her - it's the older people you need to watch out for their drivings a joke!

how did you even find this thread?

Ooo, I posted on this thread with a really old username I'd forgotten.

'Citing!!

I know this is an old thread, but I've had a few near misses from irresponsibly driven mobility scooters. I think part of the problem is that the seem to have got bigger, heavier and faster in recent years and some of them appear to resemble quad bikes in their size increasing the potential to cause damage.

Where I grew up there's a lot of older people who use them and a number of users are irresponsible, ploughing down the middle of the pavement at 8mph with people forced to clear out of the way or suffer a nasty thwack to the ankles.

I realise they are a lifeline for some people but think it would help if they were restricted in size and weight and the speed should be restricted to walking speed of 2-3mph and anything more powerful than that needs to be treated like a moped with the tax,training licence and insurance implications that go with it.

"It isn't difficult to know if a mobility scooter is behind you"

Erm, it is for some of us. I'm deaf in one ear--I find it hard to hear a vehicle approaching from behind when the street is noisy.

"Disablist has become the mot du jour now on this site bandied about anytime your views are contrary in order to stifle debate."

Exactly.

Motability scooters come with road tax and insurance for the bigger faster models, mine is only 4mph, but there are also 6mph and 8mph available. I think the 4mph is most common, as it's not recommended to go any faster than that in a pedestrian zone. 6mph and 8mph are for use on roads where there aren't paths or maybe rougher terrain.

I posted on this three years ago, lol.