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?

See the thing is, if there was a thread on mumsnet, and a black person came along and said, "I feel the tone of this is really racist, you are extrapolating your negative experiences with one black person to all black people", no one would be saying, "get a grip, you have a chip on your shoulder".

But as a disabled person, your feeling are constantly invalidated. Gosh sorry, that's the chip on my shoulder talking again.

Stepping away now, and very disappointed in everyone who just does not get it.

I don't see how they're any more dangerous than wheelchair users or pram pushers

The difference, Flyaway, is that mobility scooters are far, far heavier and faster than wheelchairs or buggies, and therefore capable of causing far more damage.

YABU.

Should we disallow electric wheel chairs too? We all know those Cerebral Palsy people can be a menace with them. My foot was run over by an electric wheel chair once. They should be tested before being given any disability equipment.

Oh. I get it. Testing for scooters is ok, because they're old people.

Most people use their scooters the way they are meant to. We have them in major stores here and I haven't heard horror stories of people getting run over. The people being reckless are the exception.

Everyone can tell of one time and idiot rode their scooter at 6mph in front of the bus and slowed things down. Everyone can tell of one time a minority did something stupid. Everyone can tell of one time a woman was an idiot. Should we start making a broad sweeping assumption on these groups based on biased anecdotal evidence?

I saw a woman that was an idiot yesterday, we should make them do tests before being allowed to bear children. In fact, we should keep them confined inside so we don't have to deal with them. That is exactly how stupid this thread sounds.

I'd bet money the majority of scooter users you guys have seen are law abiding citizens that use their scooters the way they are suppose to. It just doesn't register in your memory any more than the guy that checked out at Tesco with no fuss, because no further thought was given to the situation.

Tell me though. What exactly do you plan on doing if they don't pass their scooter test? Keep them confined inside because they can't go anywhere? You're basically suggesting locking up the "undesirables".

The shit I read on here some days...

I agree Tinkly and have reported my own post in order to bring the disabilist posts on this thread to MNHQ attention.

Should we disallow electric wheel chairs too? We all know those Cerebral Palsy people can be a menace with them. My foot was run over by an electric wheel chair once. They should be tested before being given any disability equipment.

Most people do have training on how to use electric wheelchairs before they are allowed to take them home.
Nobody is suggesting banning mobility scooters, some people are just suggesting that people should have training so they can use them safely. Using it safely would benefit the user as well as other pavement / road users.

Tinkly, you said, "Try using a scooter, people leap out at you from all directions. Most have little or no consideration, you have to be hyper, and I mean hyper vigilant". And it's for that reason I do believe that users should be subject to some sort of test before they're allowed onto busy streets with them. It doesn't have to be particularly onerous, but I do think they should have to be able to carry out basic manoeuvres and have an up-to-date eyesight test.

The accidents may not always be the fault of the user of the scooter, but drivers of all vehicles need to be aware of their surroundings, taking into account other people, and be capable of taking evasive action. If you can't do that to a reasonable degree then you shouldn't be driving one.

Both my parents use mobility scooters, and they are quite literally a lifeline for them - both are mobility impaired, and neither could self propel a wheelchair or push the other. But neither of them could pass any sort of test with the best will in the world.

No insurance is offered when you buy a scooter, and mostly the people who use scooters aren't able to search for these things even if they want to. It would have to be something very easy to obtain - through the post office perhaps.

You might also judge that my parents scooters are often outside a local pub. They can share a £5 meal there at lunchtime, and get 1 meal free for every 5 plus other discounts, and its made a huge difference to them getting fed

If anyone wants to start a thread on careless / dangerous cyclists I will happily join the conversation.
If anyone wants to start a thread on careless /dangerous car drivers I will happily join the conversation.
Same goes for careless /dangerous lorry drivers, supermarket trolley pushers, horse riders......

I have nothing against mobility scooter drivers but I have plenty against people who use pavements and roads in a manner which knowingly compromises the safety of others.

Missunreasonable

People have extensive training before they are allowed to drive a car. There are still accidents, there are still people who drive like fools. Even if there was training there would still be accidents and people who drove scooters dangerously. I honestly can't see what would be achieved.

A few weeks ago I was out driving on a major trunk road and as I came round a corner there was a guy on a massive scooter on the road with his wife walking next to him on the outside so so dangerous!
Better than this guy though metro.co.uk/2014/08/01/pensioner-caught-by-transport-police-driving-mobility-scooter-on-the-m1-4817861/

The insurance isn't even that expensive
www.bluebadgemobilityinsurance.co.uk/mobility-scooter-insurance?gclid=CI7qiKb29MACFUjHtAodL2sARg

www.lloydspharmacy.com/en/betterlife-colour-shroud-for-prism-4-mobility-scooter-red-300179

I just looking really, inspired by this thread but you can get a scooter for less than £50

Tinkly: the fact that some people drive cars dangerously and have accidents hasn't removed the legal requirement for people to pass a driving test before driving unsupervised.

Of course, people would make money out of the training, and the insurance. Plenty of disabled people would be too intimidated to get a buggy.

To be honest, it takes about 10 seconds to learn to use a buggy. If you see someone going too fast on the pavement, report them. If you feel your elderly parent is not aware enough to use a buggy, dissuade them or report them.

Disabled people are individuals, stop tarring us all with the same brush.

Nobody is suggesting banning mobility scooters, some people are just suggesting that people should have training so they can use them safely. Using it safely would benefit the user as well as other pavement / road users.

Yes, but what happens if they don't pass their training classes?

There's a huge difference between taking driving classes and scooter classes. You don't need a car to function with day to day activities. You can walk or take the bus if you don't have a bike or car.

My FIL has an electric wheel chair and he's still accidentally bumped into people, and even banged up a doorway. Should he have his wheelchair taken away? Really, a scooter only goes 2mph faster at maximum speed than an electric wheelchair, so there's not a big difference. So why is it ok to target scooters, and not wheelchairs?

I've walked and accidentally bumped into people like it's a national pastime. Should I be banned from the sidewalks?

Training sounds great on paper, but all you're doing is clogging up the process for people to get equipment they need to just have one normal day. What happens if they don't pass? That's the problem with this. It's disablism in guise of "concern".

Tinkly, you're never, ever going to eliminate accidents on the road (or on the pavement!). But you can take steps to minimise risk to both the driver and pedestrians, and that's what testing and mandatory insurance would help do.

If even a basic "how to" session was included, it would give many users more confidence when using their scooter. Insurance would also give some recourse for people who are injured, even the user themselves.

madamginger - what is the point of that news story? - you are not allowed to drvie mobility scooters on mtorways - that is a regulation, that is why he was stopped by the police. Lots of things you are not allowed to do on the roads - popele do them and they get caught and stopped.
Thta is a 'person contravenes highway code and is apprehended' story, not a 'look mobility scooters reaaaly reaaaly are the scourge of our times, they must be banned, I told you so.' story.

And since anecdotes are considered the new data on this thread, I'll add one. My son saw a mobility scooter being driven sensibly and carefully, pushed over by a group of teenage boys, who then ran off. The gentleman driving was stranded half on the pavement half in the road. Obviously my son stopped his car got out and called on passers by to help him get the chap upright again and checked he was OK. This anecdote proves nothing accept that examples of arseholery can be found everywhere.

I don't think teenage boys should be locked up and made to pass a test before they are allowed out in case they assault scooter users by the way. 'Cos that would be crazy and teenagerist.

No that is just an accessory Piper. Are you fancying one then? My DD tells me they are all the rage among the idle teenagers in Benidorm. Now that must really get people frothing.

Yes, but what happens if they don't pass their training classes?
There's a huge difference between taking driving classes and scooter classes. You don't need a car to function with day to day activities. You can walk or take the bus if you don't have a bike or car.

If they don't pass then they can't be allowed to use it unsupervised in a public place, Same as for other motorised vehicles.
And staying that people don't need a car to function is not accurate. Some people do need cars to function hence why the motability scheme exists. I need my motability car to get my disabled DS to school and anywhere else including hospital appointments, respite etc, he can't use the buses and has to travel six miles each way to school each day. He can't even use a taxi to get to school as the council tried that and they couldn't manage it.
If I couldn't drive safely and couldn't have a car then I would have to employ a driver and have a suitable vehicle for them to drive so I could get my son where he needs to be.
I couldn't just get in a car and drive and put others at risk because I need to drive due to my sons disability. I would have to find a safe solution.

Piper the scooter isn't fifty pounds!! The shroud is.

I live in an area populated by many elderly, they tend to use the cycle lanes on the roads but unlike bikes they tend to swerve into the road when joining. I view mobility scooters on pavements as being likely to join the road as it is so common. I do believe planners need to address this as mobility scooters are only going to increase as the population grows not only older but bigger.

My scooter is very small and a lot slower than a child's manual scooter. I have enough extra expenses as a disabled person without insurance that I don't need.

Can I emphasise my scooter works by pushing the lever forward to go forward, and pulling it back to go back. Oh yeah, and you point it in the direction you want to go. Gosh, perhaps I should be a training instructor.

Another idea. How about a campaign to remind people to be more aware of scooters and give them a bit of manouvering/stopping time. Now that's quite radical isn't it? Asking people to modify their behaviour for disabled people.

SoonToBeSix, you say you don't need insurance that you don't need.

I take it then you have the cash to pay someone if you ride into them and brake their leg/ankle?