It seems almost daily the newspapers are printing stories of mobility scooter users causing havoc, whether a near miss, or a more serious accident. At Help My Mobility we know how important mobility scooters are to their users, and how they can enhance the quality of life and give back independence. And feel all this bad press is being caused by a minority of owners.
The question which seems to be raised on a regular basis is whether users should have to pass a test to ride their scooters.
Now, I recently took my CBT (Compulsory Basic Training) to ride up to a 125cc motorbike. This was a day course and took me though the basic of riding, a few manoeuvring tests in a car park followed by an on the road test to make sure I was competent. I passed, as most do. But does this mean I was safe on the road? Luckily, I have driven a car for many years so had a good understanding of road and what to look out for. But, if I was 16 with no road experience would I had been safe on the road? Probably not.
My point being, that a test although useful to mobility users in terms of using the controls and general safety, does not by no means ensure the users safety on the road or pavement. This comes with experience, common sense and consideration to others whether pedestrians, cars, bicycles or others...
By Help Mobility Team