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!!!

OP sorry to hear about your nasty injury, I hope you make a speedy recovery

Its a bit sad that at lot of people are blaming the op and accusing her of being discriminatory against disabled people. This sounds a nasty, frightening and painful accident that could have been even worse if she had not been able to push her ds in his pram off the road. I expect the OP knows she was bu in saying these scooters should be on the road

Mobility scooters have changed many peoples lives for the better and given them freedom that may not have been possible in any other way

But the people that use them have a duty and responsibility to ensure that they do not cause a danger to other people. Sadly some don't and there have been a number of accidents some including toddlers and elderly people

There needs to be some sort of registration for them, so that people are identifiable and I agree with the poster who said that they should be checked to see they are able to drive them. Some of these scooters could easily kill someone. personally I think its only a matter of time before they have to be registered, due to the increase in accidents and incidents.

This is in no way disabled bashing, I know there are irresponsible, aggressive and entitled people driving cars and riding bikes, but there are laws to act against them

whilst we are at it can we have insurance for pram users,

That's a complete straw man. How many people a year are killed or are seriously injured by being bashed in to by a pram or pushchair?

Unless usain bolt is running with a pram I can't see them.inflicting the same injuries as a motorized scooter!
personally, I've never seen anyone racing along the street and driving a pram dangerously but maybe that's just where I live!
I agree they shouldn't be banned but any motorized vehicle (and non motorized, I suppose) should be driven responsibly.

Smellslike - Agreed

Your average pram will weigh in the range of 7-12Kg with an occupant that weighs between 3-20kg. Max total weight around 32kg.

Mobility scooters start at around 50kg and go up 80Kg, their users probably also start at 50kg and go up to 80kg+.

So at minimum a mobility scooter is going to be 3 times heavier than a pram or pushchair and could be 10x heavier. Added to which average walking speed is generally put at 3 miles per hour and mobility scooters go faster than that.

Mobility scooters are increadibly important and I can understand that for some people they are a complete lifeline. I would just like to see the small number of people who can't use them safely stopped from using them. We were lucky that DS wasn't more badly hurt.

I have been thinking about this. Am I right in thinking the lady commented that usually the scooter stops when she released the handle and that it hadn't this time? This points to a fault with the scooter and not the driver. If it is leased, either motability or the company loaning the scooter are liable because general maintenance is included in the price, and a faulty scooter is their responsibility?

I think I agree now with some method of checking capability before scooters are provided, means of identifying scooters and some sort of compulsory registration. Also maintenance should be a condition of ownership, like car MOT. So I guess similar to a car, but funded by their dla the same way their scooter is funded rather than making them out of pocket just to get around, which let's face it, getting a mobility scooter does already cost a bomb.

My v elderly mum got a scooter. I couldn't keep up with her when we went for practice runs (me walking) to get her used to it. She was used to being driven in a car so scooter must have seemed slow by comparison. She was v dangerous due to her poor eyesight and arthriticy hands. Probably they should have a restricted speed setting.

I can walk, it's not an inability to walk that means we need a scooter, but things like walking is painful, too tiring and too slow or unsteady. I have a weak leg that sometimes needs lifting to manouver round out of a seat, so you may be incorrect in your diagnosis of who needs a scooter and who doesn't. Someone with no mobility would be better in a powered chair.

I don't see disabled as more important, but taking away their only means of independence seems harsh simply because of some people's inability to use them properly. People are probably fairly reactive to the idea of losing something they value as irreparable due to someone else's poor judgement.

How would anyone know why someone is using a mobility scooter, unless they have access to medical records?

Ok Ok sorry - was jus trying to lighten the tone a bit, what with this thread, the honesty one, and the poor lassie having voices in her head thread, all seemed a bit serious and heavy - will keep working on the punchlines.

Why was my post deleted? It didn't break any of the Talk Guidelines. It says at the top of the screen that this is a topic for canvassing opinions and my opinion is that these scooters are a liability and should be banned, and that disabled people's right to get around does not trump the rights of the majority to walk around public places safely. Nothing I said breaks any of the guidelines.

I reported you for being disablist, mn detelted your post for being disablist, not funny Rosemaryandthyme.

Censoring debate is always the way to kill the thread.

OP poor you, hope your ankle heals quickly and without complications must have been a real shock.

I don't think these scooters should be banned from pavements completely but I do agree with previous posters who have pointed out that they are a big responsibilty to be in control of and their speed should be limited and competency tests and regular maintenance of them should be compulsory.

No one is sensoring debate, just pulling up disablist posters who went too far.

censoring

How was my post disablist? Genuine question. I acknowledge the right of disabled people to get out and about but said that this does not trump the rights of the able-bodied to go about their daily business safely. There are no controls over the use of these unregistered vehicles, you can't always hear them coming and there are no consequences for those who use them irresponsibly.

I have thought some more about this and I wonder if there should be a selectable speed limiter so the user could choose to limit the max speed to 2 mph in a crowded area as that would be more in line with the speed of most people ambling around the shops / tourist attraction etc and set a higher speed e.g. 4mph if you have clear pavements. Maybe they already have this, I don't know.

"I have thought some more about this and I wonder if there should be a selectable speed limiter so the user could choose to limit the max speed to 2 mph in a crowded area as that would be more in line with the speed of most people ambling around the shops / tourist attraction etc and set a higher speed e.g. 4mph if you have clear pavements. Maybe they already have this, I don't know."

This is basically how they already work. There is a dial that you set to control speed, and then you pull the lever to make it go, and fine-contol the speed (ie. if you pull the lever halfway, you go at half of the speed on the dial). When you let go of the lever it automatically brakes. For the scooters that go up to 8mph, there is a speed limiter button that prevents you going faster than 4mph - this button must be used if you are on a pavement.

What sentence would have been appropriate in your link DaFreak, the man died soon after

That is the problem, you need a reliable witness.

But we would then need the same to cover any pavement user, tbf.

MMMarmite thanks for the info. Like with everything else I suppose technology can only do so much at some point its down to the user to judge the conditions correctly.

Tbh, in the OP's case i carn't help feeling that she should have allowed the person on the mobility scooter to go slightly ahead, to start with, so she could turn how she needed to and not cut across of the OP.

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