To think that mobility scooters are bloody dangerous and there should be more regulation of their use?

[JellyDiamond]

I've just nearly run over a man on a disability scooter. I was driving along at 30mph, when he pulled off the kerb right in front of me. He didn't look anyway but when he realised I was coming towards him he didn't seem to know how to stop it and carried on. Had I been going any faster I would have hit him, had another car been behind me they'd have crashed into me...

I appreciate elderly and disabled people need to get about, but many of them don't seem to know how to use these scooters. There's an old chap near me who uses and one and drives along in the middle of the road, holding up traffic and refusing to pull over to let anyone pass. I've nearly been run over myself by them on pavements, in shops, in supermarkets and I've heard of people who have actually been bit and injured by them.

Surely there should be some kind of course and test for users before allowing them lose on the public? Maybe even an assessment to see who actually needs them rather than just giving them out willy billy to any OAP over the age of 70 wants one?

YADNBU.

Some of the people hurtling around on those things are total menaces.

The problem with your proposal is that by the very nature of them, a significant proportion of users may not be of sound enough body and mind to pass tests needed to drive one.

We want my grandad to get one as he's having trouble walking any sort of distance now. Unfortunately he's also deaf as a post and in the early stages of dementia so his risk assessment skills aren't 100% to say the least. It's a definite catch-22.

Agree that third party insurance should be mandatory for them too. It is available, but at the minute, it's up to the mobility scooter driver to decide whether or not they're going to take it out.

I thought they were limited to walking speed? I also think that they should only be used in pavements and shops, well actually they should be used anywhere pedestrians can go. They are not suitable for the road. I don't really understand why people think they are, you wouldn't ask someone in a wheelchair to only use the road and not go shopping and I see it as the same thing.

I believe any scooter that travels at more than 8 mph has to be taxed and insured as would any motor vehicle doing that speed. I saw one large scooter on Saturday with a tax disc, so some people are clearly responsible.

Mum uses one, but won't drive it fast and is very cautious, which I think is good, especially as in my town the sheer numbers of them causes real problems.

Mum witnessed a man on a scooter running down a small boy recently. Man sped off, little boy ended up being taken to hospital in an ambulance. We're all hoping the man gets traced and properly dealt with.

Anyone wanting a scooter, whether paid for privately or not, should be assessed as capable of handling one before being allowed to have one.

So people don't want them on the pavement and also don't want them on the road. Where are they to go?

It is illegal to use mobility Scooters on the pavement unless they are limited to 4(?) mph.

YANBU. Most users around here are considerate and can operate them safely, but there are a few I keep a wary eye on. The woman who uses hers to walk her dog and drags it along while it poos really winds me up. Fido scuttles along liberally coating the pavement with crap grenades. If you challenge her, she swears like a docker and screeches off after shoving the dog in the front basket.

I wouldn't object to them being on the road if they were used safely and correctly. They definitely shouldn't be allowed on pavement though, cyclists aren't allowed so neither should they be.

Yanbu at all, there was a documentary about 6 months ago about the problems faced of some mobility scooter drivers who cannot use them competently, it was highlighted that the Police are faced with this problem. From the documentary the Police were running scooter proficiency lessons to try and curb this problem.

I have never understood why you're not allowed to cycle on the pavement but are allowed motorised vehicles.

Like all things, most people use them sensibly but there needs to be some regulation to deal with the others and unfortunately that has to affect everyone.

SaucyJack, unfortunately, if people are too infirm to pass the test then they shouldn't be using the scooter. Sad and restricting for them but necessary. My Gran needs a car far more than I do but she's not safe to drive so she can't have one.

You can get scooters that go up to about 10 mph.

They're not supposed to be on the pavement unless they're going at walking speed, but they're certainly not all limited to walking speed.

Yanbu. There should be mandatory third party insurance with a hefty reduction for passing a proficiency test (to help weed out a few of the twits). A driving licence is not comparable - it needs to be a specific test for mobility scooters.

The scooters themselves hould also be limited to walking speed and not allowed on the roads.

Fixed penalties for dangerous or reckless behaviour too.

You've got a point. There's a pub not far from me and there's one parked outside on the path every day. It's not a wide path, so if you have a buggy or you're in a wheelchair, you're forced into the road, which is a main road and has cars flying down it. They are heavy so one of these bashing into you will cause some damage, and they are sold on a heck of a lot and the new owner won't have received the training needed to use them safely. There should be some sort of driving standards and insurance, it's crazy that there isn't.

You are allowed to drive them on the road, and on some dual carriageways as long as you have an amber light displayed. They have every right to be there.

You aren't allowed to drive faster than 4mph on the pavement - thats walking speed, and slower than a bike (which people seem to think its Ok for kids to ride on pavements)

As with most things, tere are safety rules inplace andof people obeyed them there wouldn;t be problems. But I gues there are reckless mobiltiyscooter drivers as there are reckless drivers, cyclists, etc. I've never had mobility scotter pull out in front of me -but I do look out for them when driving and slow down and observe just in case.
I've had plenty of car drivers pull out in front of me without looking, and my elderly mother was knocked down and injured by some lycra clad idiot on a bike going extremely fast.

There are idiots on all kind of vehicles. I don't really see why people with mobility problems should be singled out as not being allowed on the roads. I would imagine the vast majority are very aware of their vulnerability and do everything possible to ensure their own safety, without necessarily being able to count on consideration from other road users.

Saucy if he hasent got the skills to ride it safely then unfortunately he would not be able to have one.

I do think there should be mandatory proficiency tests, and insurance, as people or chikdren can get badly injured by a reckless and incompetent ruder. My cousin has MS had one, but as his condition deteriorated to the point where he could not drive it safely, he had to stop using it.

it is impossible to use one round here without going on the road because there are no dropped kerbs to cross by and lots of cars obstructing pavement. we crips do go to pubs sometimes - how should we get there? dog walking should consider others but mainly should benefit the dog. dogs should shit in the gutter not the path
we don't 'choose' to use wheelchairs - we need to

Yes they should be allowed on tge roads after passing a test, and having insurance.

It's slightly different than a wheelchair, some are almost the size of motorcycles, and can go quite fast and injure quite badly.

I was just about to start a thread today about how wonderful and life enhancing I am finding my new disability scooter. And then I come on here and discover that most people think I should remain confined to my house.

Obviously there are a few incompetent people using them, but, let's face it, there are a lot of incompetent people driving cars. Apparently 1700 hundred people were killed by cars last year. Are you all going to give up your cars then?

I was out on my scooter yesterday, a fantastic trip along the seafront, my little boy capering excitedly alongside me. Plenty of ignorant pedestrians too who required me to stop dead or make a complicated avoidance manoeuvre rather than take a step out of their way.

Jesus people, have a little empathy. There but for the grace of God goes you, you know.

No, Tinkly, they shouldn't be banned. It's great that they are giving people independence. People do have to have lessons and sit a test before they are let lose with a car though, and a heavy moving machine can be dangerous.

They are great when safely used, but I think people should have to wear a helmet when using them and they should have to pass a test before they can use them - they should have to do a theory and practical test before going on the roads.

I saw a near miss involving one the other day, he was on a blind bend on the wrong side of the road. A car came round the corner towards him and nearly hit him. There are always idiots on the roads though, some car drivers, cyclists etc.

YABU they are wheelchairs; for disabled people.

This sort of ranty thread about a mobility device that disabled people rely on can be the cause of abuse towards disabled people.

I believe that there is a law/bylaw or somesuch that says that occupied prams should be used on the road only, as they are a vehicle.

My Mum (73) has one of these mobility scooters. She only uses it to go to her doctors as it costs her £10 in a taxi and there is no bus service there. She does not have the money to spare.
I am not keen on her using it and advised her to only use it at tortoise speed. It can't though go uphill at tortoise speed, only rabbit. She has never driven a car, but has plenty to say about people on the road! so I really hate that she has it.

I and my Dd have almost been run down by the same man on his scooter twice and both times I have told him he needs to slow down. He just gives me a mouthful of abuse.