When you purchase a mobility scooter, you should receive some basic guidance on using it and the types of outdoor surfaces that are suitable to use it on, either by the retailer, documentation that comes with your mobility scooter or from a combination of both.

If you have purchased a class 3 mobility scooter then you will know that you can take this type actually on the road and of course that the other types, that are not class 3, need to be kept off of the roads, apart from when you are crossing a road.

Generally most users will be keeping to pavements, occasional road use and areas like outdoor shopping parades and indoor shopping centres.

These are usually areas that will have a suitable surface that enables the tires of your mobility scooter to grip well and there generally wont be too much on these surfaces that could be picked up by the tires that would possibly make them slippery.

Sometimes you might want to take your mobility scooter across an outdoor surface that may not be where you would normally take it but it may be perfectly ok to do so, especially if the weather is not damp or the surface is not ice covered, for example in the fairer weather you might take your mobility scooter across and onto some grass, and this should be fine if the grass is not especially long and that it is not on a slope that could place you in a dangerous situation.

A gravel covered surface may be fine to use your mobility scooter on too, as long as the gravel is not too loose as this could cause your mobility scooter to struggle with grip and you could find that steering across a surface like this is more difficult if the gravel is shifting too much.

A dry sand covered area would in most cases be a bad idea, and would most likely lead to various problems with your mobility scooter and potential damage to it.

Wet compacted sand, like when the sand is wet on a beach near the edge of the water might be suitable to drive over as a surface, if there appears to be no sign of sinking but of course to reach that type or sand surface there will usually be dry loose sand before that, which may prevent you from reaching the wet and possibly better supporting sand on a beach.

If you are tempted to cross any surface, maybe even for a short cut and you see that it might cause you problems, then it’s really best avoided, a grassed area could look ok but if there has been recent rain then it could be muddy and the last thing that you need is getting bogged down in mud while halfway across a field or an area in a park or something.

Also one more thing to consider regarding surfaces is when you take your mobility scooter from the outdoors inside and if the ground is wet from rain, as it will take a few minutes for the tires to dry off, say if you have entered an indoor shopping area, as the floors in some of these could be slippy and dangerous when wet, this could cause the tires to slip a little and you dont want to take any risks in an area with potentially so many people.

So it’s safest to keep speed down and be as cautious as possible while the tires are still drying off, in a shopping centre it’s a good idea to keep your speed down anyway but even more so while theres an increased risk of an accident from wet tires on an indoor surface.

To get the most from your mobility scooter it’s a good idea to look after it well, keep batteries charged and to maintain it well with regular servicing and the replacement of worn parts.

But also some very simple things can make a difference to the running of your mobility scooter and result in very efficient use and ensuring that you get the most from using your scooter.

Making sure that you have the correct tire pressure for the tires on your particular make and model of mobility scooter is important so that you get the best out of the power of your mobility scooter.

If your tires are underinflated, you may find that you are not getting the mileage expected from a full charge of the batteries, also if your tires are inflated too much then this may affect the comfort of your journeys as you will tend to feel the slightest bump because the tires are way too hard from so much pressure.

If you have uneven tire pressure on  your mobility scooter then this could lead to it pulling to one side and you may feel that there is less control and stability of the steering than before, this will of course not usually be connected to any problem with the steering but because each of the tires are inflated at a different pressure and creating an imbalance.

Letting the tires become severely underinflated will lead to drag and will also wear out the outer edges of tires quicker and may result in premature wear of the grip on the tires, leading to them needing to be replsced sooner than would normally be expected.

Do follow any tire pressure advice that is supplied with the mobility scooter, whether in a manual or on a website or from a retailer, it’s important that the pressure is checked every now and then to ensure that the tire pressure is what it should be and that you get the most from your journeys on your mobility scooter.

After reading a reply to the article that i posted yesterday about a guy who was ordered to remove his mobility scooter shelter i was thinking this morning about what was said in the reply by Contax and Contax himself has mentioned how what he has is through years of working and also how he is considerate and conscious of safety too with regards to mobility around his property.

It was also mentioned that the guy who had to remove his shelter may have been expecting more than is reasonable and i can see this myself from reading through the article again, that although each persons situation is different, there needs to be a line drawn somewhere with regards to how much a person with mobility needs has a right to, and that neighbours, safety and the public in general are all taken into consideration.

On top of this, there is the thought of finances and as throughout life people are expected to prepare for the future, for retirement but also unforeseen difficulties, as nobody knows what may happen to them during their life, no matter what age or lifestyle.

Understandably, people earn different amounts in their jobs compared to others and some may find themselves in a better position to invest, build up savings and have suitable insurance, while other people may not, or simply that they might put it off then find themselves with a more difficult situation if something does happen in the future.

Because many people are living longer and with age comes mobility problems for plenty of people, it can feel like a person not only has the mobility difficulties to contend with but the financial outlay if they cannot get assistance with some purchases of the mobility aids that they need.

Also nobody knows what the future holds and what the government may or may not be willing to assist with in the future and the expectation for generations to come could be more about self financing any mobility aids and property alterations that they need.

It’s never a bad idea to be prepared for the future financially, nobody wants to picture themselves depending on mobility aids and if they cant afford to purchase them then having to go through the process in order to get what they need, but it’s always a possibility.

Therefore it might be a good idea to encourage people to prepare for any mobility difficulties that may arise in the future, even if it’s just a case of putting away a few thousand pounds gradually over the years that is there and can be used if the person does infact need to then pay for mobility aids at sometime in their life.

It’s fantastic that generations of people are living longer and around long enough to appreciate seeing and experiencing grandchildren and even great grandchildren but the later years also bring the mobility challenges to, which in turn puts a strain on some peoples finances more than others.

So maybe financial preparation for mobility later in life is something that needs extra thought, planning and actually being dealt with when individuals are still young and able to prepare for it.

Please share your thoughts below by commenting.