Advice | 8 Comments |
Top Tips for Scooter Safety
Whether you are a new rider or an old hand, it’s a good idea to review the essentials, to make sure you can enjoy your mobility scooter in safety.
Click here to go straight to winter hazards
Top tips for scooter safety:
Yourself –
• Make sure you can see well enough to drive a scooter safely
• Check that the seating position is comfortable and allows you proper control of the scooter
• Before venturing out for the first time, get some training: make sure you know how to steer the scooter, go backwards, turn round, go up and down kerbs safely – and stop!
• Keep possessions, such as your handbag or wallet, mobile phone, etc, tucked away safely and out of sight
Your scooter –
• Know the range of your scooter – don’t try pushing the boundaries (and remember, you have to get back again, as well!)
• Check tyres and lights regularly. Tyres should be kept at the pressure recommended by the manufacturer, to be safe and last as long as possible. Replace them when they are worn. Replace dead bulbs, and remember to use your lights whenever it is gloomy or overcast, as well as in the evening/night.
• Don’t overload your scooter like this with shopping or other goods!
• Handlebars are for steering, not storage – if you hang bags from them, it will make the scooter unstable and difficult to control
• Some people like to “pimp their ride”, like Jossie Solheim, whose “Speedy McNipster” is shown below in Christmas regalia. Don’t let decorations get in the way of scooter safety: make sure you don’t add anything that could get caught in the wheels or any other part of the scooter, and also ensure that you aren’t going to trip or get tangled up yourself!
• Insurance is not compulsory, but still a good idea, to protect yourself in the case of accidental damage or theft, and also any negligence claims that might arise from your scooter use. Some policies include breakdown insurance, which will get you home if you scooter lets you down.
Your driving style –
• Class 2 scooters may only be driven on pavements and foot paths; Class 3 scooters can also go on the road. 4 mph is the maximum speed on the pavement, 8 mph on the road. Roadgoing scooters must be switched to the 4 mph maximum speed when you use them on the pavement.
• Although 4 mph is the speed limit, that doesn’t mean it’s always safe to go that fast. In unfamiliar, cramped or crowded places, you should be travelling more slowly
• Remember that pedestrians have right of way, and always give way to them. Be particularly aware of children, who aren’t necessarily paying attention to you, and may run into your path, and older people, who probably can’t jump out of your way.
• On the road, you need lights front and rear, indicators and a horn. Even so, use great care and commonsense – you are travelling a lot more slowly than other vehicles, so be sure you have enough time and space to complete any manoeuvre. You must NEVER go on a motorway.
Winter hazards –
• Take extra care when road and pavement surfaces are icy and may be slippery.
• Dress warmly, with a waterproof top layer. Some scooters have a weather cab to protect you from the worst of the winter.
• Be visible in the gloom – use your lights, and consider some high vis accessories. You can get strips to attach to sleeves and legs, as well as gilets and bags made with reflective material.
• It is a good idea to have a mobile phone on you, in case of emergency. Don’t forget to check that it is charged up, and programmed with the numbers you me need. You can also get GPS trackers, so your rescuers know exactly where to find you.
• Remember that the range of your scooter will be less in cold weather.
• If you don’t use your scooter during the winter months, make sure you keep the battery charged. If it becomes completely discharged, you may not be able to get it charged up again when you want to use it in the spring.
• If your scooter lives outdoors, it needs protecting from the winter weather, with a waterproof cover. Damp can play havoc with the electronics.
Article ends – click to return to top or check out related resources below
Further reading and resources
If you have any other tips to help with scooter safety, please share – add your comments below.
To help with choosing a mobility scooter, visit the Independent Living scooter section
Can you take your scooter on a bus? Find out here
Safer Mobility Campaign calls for government action
8 Replies to “Top Tips for Scooter Safety”
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I have a Motobility Power Wheelchair. My HA Curo told the representative from Motobility that I should get rid of my dry cell medical wheelchair and get lightweight lithium.
My power wheelchair is pat tested regularly and serviced.
I do feel that enough is done on safety and I understand there are certain procedures to follow when using bus and public transport.
need help with reversing my battery operated scooter into a bus. Have ridden it for years, but until now having reversed. But license now requires to ride on buses. Senior citizen.
Please recommend some videos for instruction.
Many many thanks
A.Linden
Hello Anita
I haven’t been able to find any videos, unfortunately, but here are some top tips for reversing a mobility scooter:
• Be aware of your surroundings – check over your shoulder to see if there’s anyone approaching or any obstacles that need to be manoeuvred round.
• Check your mirrors – if your scooter doesn’t have rearview mirrors, you should be able to get them added as an accessory.
• Move off slowly – after you’ve checked your surroundings, don’t go backwards at full speed. Reversing more slowly will be safer.
• Steering – practice reversing in an open space until you are confident that you can manoeuvre the scooter where you want it to go.
• Learn how big your scooter’s turning circle is. If you can turn in a tight circle going forwards, you may not need to do much, if any reversing.
Good luck! If you think you need some one to one training, contact your nearest Driving Mobility Centre (external link will open in a new browser tab or window). They should be able to help with scooter confidence as well as car driving.
could google show how to get to destinations i.e. google maps using a mobile scooter or wheelchair – highlighting hazards along the way – uneven pavements, sloping pavements, tight corners, potholes, cars parking on pavements, no dropped kerb, overhanging bushes/trees, poorly position lampposts etc. so we know whether we can make the journey or not.
Hello Marlene
Google maps has an accessible places feature, which can be turned on in settings, and also has accessible routes, for a few big cities, one of which is London. So if you happen to be in the capital, you can try it out, by tapping on options once you have selected your route. If you live anywhere else, maybe it will be rolled out more widely in due course…
Best wishes, Frances
We have received this contribution from Peter, who uses a wheelchair and mobility scooter:
Under the highway code some of the things we cannot do with a scooter:
• Drive in a Bus lane (although not doing so puts you in the middle of the road)
• Drive in a Cycle lane
• Drive on a dual carriageway without a flashing amber beacon. (There are a lot of dual carriageways about)
What we must all do:
Both Scooters and Wheelchairs – and Cycles of all sizes
• Must give way to Pedestrians, even the ones that do not look where they are going.
Things we should all do:
• Buy a safety helmet for a road scooter and use it
• Road tax for a road scooter. It’s free
• Buy insurance for Scooters, Wheelchairs and yes, Cycles of all sizes
• Have training to know what you can and cannot do on Scooters, Wheelchairs and Cycles
Things I think we should be able to do:
• Drive in a Bus lane
• Drive in a Cycle lane
I keep my scooter (in 3 bits) in the boot of my car – it’s certainly more noisy in cold weather; it screams (!) until warmed up which is quite alarming…..
That does sound worrying – though cold weather sometimes makes me feel like screaming, too!