Motorised scooters

[Hyacinth]

I've just seen an accident involving an OAP on one of these and a delivery van. The OAP made no indication whatsoever that she was going to leave the pavement and do an abrupt left turn onto a pedestrian crossing. The driver of the van, who was well within the speed limit for that stretch of road, doing abt 25mph if that, on a seemingly clear stretch of road,   hadn't a chance to avoid side-swiping her, despite slamming on his brakes.

Are drivers of these scooters given or made to undertake any instruction into the correct road (or pavement?) use of these? Car drivers are; motorbike drivers are; schools round here run cycle classes for their littlies who then take a proficiency test...

And the lady who was involved/caused the accident is a friend of mine. She's 84 and her sum total of driving was a spell driving a lorry during the war. And this is the third road accident she's been in since getting her scooter some 3 years ago.

Hey ho! I saw her into an ambulance and I guess I'll be spending the rest of the afternoon in hospital with her. But I've already phoned the company the van driver works for and said that quite definitely it was not his fault.

Surely there should be some sort of learning/awareness/test for scooter drivers? Gosh, I remember the agony of trying to learn stopping distances even before taking my driving test....

[Hyacinth]

[Si D]

In the last few months I've noticed a couple of articles in the media about the way people drive their mobilty scooters. One was a daily mail type rant about how these devices were bringing about the end of civilisation and it was all the govt's fault. the other a more balanced one about a chap (posibly in Rugby?) who'd started a campaign to get mobility scooter users to show more respect to other pavement users- the chap was a user himself and was tired of getting people have a go at him because someone else on a scooter had caused them a problem. From what I remember there was no need for any type of oficial training mentioned - just jump in and go.

[Hyacinth]

It's a mess, isn't it? As more and more of us might be using these wonderful aids to independence, there must surely be some guidelines, even, given with the scooter at point of sale?

When I was a gel, I remember being taught that walking on an un-paved road one walked facing on-going traffic...what should a scooter user do? And high-visibility armbands or jackets.....? And what are the 'rules' for driving on pavements....with the flow of traffic or against it? And how about indicators and l-s-m??

Is there NOTHING to educate the scooter user - and the non-scooter general public, of what to do/what to expect?

[betula]

I have had a few close shaves with them while out shopping.A lot of users can't seem to understand they drive them too fast and too close to pedestrians.I have managed to stay patient so far but I have come very close to telling them to slow down.

I think they are a lifeline for some people,however I do think they should undergo a test before being able to take them out. :)

[froglets]

I turned right across a busy road into a side street to be faced with a giffer on a scooter driving the wrong way down the road towards me.  It was a narrow road so I ended up driving onto the pavement to avoid hitting him head on.  Not a pip of acnowlegement that he was in the wrong and dittered his way into the stream of traffic on the busy road.  I was aghast he's ever made it to an age where he needed one with that little self preservation sense.  And of course if I had hit him or a pedestrian, it would have been my fault.  >:  My view, a driving test and annual check to make sure an elderly person is still switched on and capable enough to be out in one.  I know they provide much needed mobility, but not at the expense of other people.

[Jeannine]

Believe  it or not, there is a street opposite our school where three of them, toe men and a woman ,drag race..I promise I am not kidding XX Jeannine

[katynewbie]

 ::)

Oh don't get me started! A few months ago, on a road which was not very well lit, I almost hit one of these. I was driving gently at 30 mph and came around a corner, only to see an old chap beetling along on a scooter in the road. No lights, no high-vis jacket, nothing! Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

If I had hit him, whose fault would it have been? Never mind the fault issue, how bad would I have felt?

>:(

[SamLouise]

Not everybody on a scooter is a numpty  >:(  My mum uses one on a regular basis but actually uses her brain cells and knows what she should and shouldn't do therefore doesn't need some condescending lecture on being scooter and public worthy.  I doubt she'd ever want to use it on a main road though (why are they even allowed on main roads?!) 

[betula]

Sam,I am sure your mum is fine but scooter drivers are like car drivers ,some good some not so good.

These vehicles are heavy and I have come close to having them driven into my legs.Sorry,I think people should at the very least be tested.

[SamLouise]

Betula, I appreciate what you and others are saying and I somewhat agree.  I've had run-ins with scooter users before and some of them are not very nice people with their attitudes.  I was in a shop before when a man on a scooter destroyed an entire end aisle display because of his speed and lack of care but unfortunately I've been on the other side too and seen and heard comments that nasty people have made to scooter users.  Yes indeed, it is all swings and roundabouts.  Cannot say I disagree with a roadworthy type test for those who are brave enough to use their scoots on a main road  :o :o

[lorna]

I agree with most of the comments. Charlie got around on his scooter for 5 years and I often walked beside him. Maybe being an ex lorry driver made him aware of the problems. Also I agree with betula same applies to car drivers. Here in the Fens I am sure some drivers have a death wish. They use right or left turns as a bend in the road. Going to the school have nearly had the front of my car swiped, then they look at you as if you are in the wrong.

[thifasmom]

i think the speed should be reduced to maximum walking speed and no more.

[Si D]

As far as the careless use of these devices around other pavement users is concerned, there is the other side of things to consider too - how difficult some people make it for both powered scooters and wheelchairs and unpowered chairs.

My FiL used an powered wheelchair.  He was responsible for damage to a number of cars.  I'm sure that the owners will have complained about the way that people could use these things without training etc.  But, thing is, their cars wouldn't have suffered the scratches and minor dents if they hadn't parked them in such a way that they blocked pavements and dropped kerbs.  My FiL sometimes found himself trapped in a few yards of pavement outside his house, unable to proceed to the shops/doctors/church/etc until hours later when someone came back and moved their car.  And let's face it, these drivers had all received training and yet it didn't seem to stop them being a pain in the butt.

I'm not saying that these problems excuse all poor behavior by scooter users but in a few cases you can see why they might get annoyed.

[Mr Smith]

Try Skegness its full of them, there is a definate need for this type of vehicle but  in my neck of the woods I know folk that are fit and well but because they have a few quid buy themselves an electric scooter, it is a motorised vehicle so it should have at least third party insurance and pavement tax ;D

[ACE]

No, no, no. They are alright as they are and the perfect vehicle to go out and get rat@rsed on. Didn't know you could just go out and buy one.

This one look as if it has its own ice chest, perfect.

[Old bird]

Ace!  Can you imagine an "oldie" getting on that contraption?  They would fall over for sure!  Entertaining though!

Old Bird
;D

[katynewbie]

 :o

Sure it's an ice box and not a commode?!

;)

[Hyacinth]

I really don't know about  3rd party insurance and a tax band - surely the aim is to keep aids to mobility affordable4all.....hmm there again, 3rd part insurance might be the way to go?.....I really accept that peeps such as S-L's mum are 'responsible' users but surely it's to everyone's benefit that we all know what is expected of the user and what the rules-of-the-road/pavement really are?

My update.....visited (did I say 84yr old? how time flies ;)) friend in hospital and have delivered clothes, goodies etc. and arranged whatever to keep her home/post going. She's bashed about and the bruises are developing, but she's alive..Alarmingly her story doesn't tally with mine. According to her, she drove along the pavement, stopped at the pedestrian crossing, started crossing then WHAM! Van driver obviously had his mind elsewhere as shr was already on the crossing?

And that isn't true. It's only because I saw my friend in her scooter at abt 50 paces distance (she'd not seen me at this point) and was looking forward to a natter, that I clocked exactly what had happened...

I'm pleased that she survived (her 3rd road-crossing accident, but she survived); I'm more than pleased that I was able to a)help her, b)help the move of her battered scooter to the Mobility Shop just up the road, from which she bought it and which has already dealt with her two previous incidents; I'm extremely pleased that I can be witness to the poor bloke who could this morning have woken up to the realization that he'd been the cause of someone's death, and, actually, over the moon that I've been able to put this in writing on an Incident Report with the Police this arvters to clear the poor bloke of all culpability....

But I'm wondering if my x years of friendship with my friend will suffer.....

Win some, lose some, eh?

(LOL at ACE  - no Katy...me mate's catheterised.....you can distil her pee....generations of Scots have made their fortune out of it.)

[Baccy Man]

there must surely be some guidelines, even, given with the scooter at point of sale?

People are usually given a copy of the leaflet "Get Wise to using electric scooters and wheelchairs - a highway code for users" which is produced by the British Healthcare Trades Association (BHTA) at the point of sale.
A PDF copy is available to download here:
http://www.westlancsshopmobility.co.uk/HighwayCode.pdf

There are also guidelines in the official highway code here:
http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/TravelAndTransport/Highwaycode/DG_069852

There is some information about the registration & licensing requirements here:
http://www.mobilitytodaymagazine.com/magazine/32_scooters.php

[froglets]

As with quad bikes, a lot of the problems may arise from the second hand market where no guidance or instruction  is given.