We all see a lot more mobility scooters out there on the streets these days and when one is coming towards you its usually very easy to see them even though you might not hear much (if any) sound from them.

But whether you are a user of a mobility scooter or you’re walking, its when a mobility scooter comes from behind you that you might be completely unaware that one is about to come past you until it already is doing so.

While people might look at who is walking towards them, its not so common for people to look behind them before they change direction to cross over the pavement area of a local shopping parade for example, or might just start moving more to the left or the right in order to avoid walking into other people.

Many people make sudden movements and this can mean that at any given moment when theres plenty of people around, what might seem like a clear route along a certain area of the pavement might suddenly become something quite different and can lead to accidents involving other members of the public.

Quite often people simply wont hear a mobility scooter coming up behind them, if there is some general noise like people talking etc then this will lower the chances even more of a mobility scooter being heard.

Sometimes you can see people who are literally startled by  a mobility scooter that is whizzing right past them or they go to turn to walk in another direction and find themselves inches away from an unexpected mobility scooter passing.

While its great that they produce very little noise, this can pose a hazard when someone is completely unaware that one is coming up behind them.

Some users do use the horn on their mobility scooter but some dont and if a user doesn’t make use of the horn when they should then this greatly increases the risk not only to other people but to themselves also.

Much like a horn on a car should not be used in anger or to warn people to get out of the way, a horn should be used to create awareness, to warn people of the danger approaching should they not notice you on your mobility scooter and decide to make a sudden movement.

Because of a lack of noise from most mobility scooters, riders need to be aware of when to reduce their speed if they expect that other members of the public may make sudden movements and changes in direction.

Avoid getting into the mindset of  “oh they will see me coming” because even if you have an item of high visibility clothing on, it obviously wont make any difference when people are not facing you.

People have got used to not having to worry about cars and other vehicles driving down the pavement or through the shopping area (although of course this can happen for a number of reasons) so they dont expect mobility scooters coming up quickly from behind them, they can be like a near silent suprise, but a rather unpleasant suprise if they were to be accidentally hit by one.

While the general public need to keep themselves alert to the possibility of mobility scooters coming up from behind them, its also the responsibility of the users of them to politely make themselves heard and let others know of their presence for the safety of all.

As much as we joke about our weather here in the UK, a lot of us like to make the most of enjoying the sunshine and warmer temperatures and it seems that this year we are a bit luckier so far.

A lot of people know what its like to try and get into a car that has been sitting for a while in direct sunlight, sometimes the heat inside is so intense that it requires opening the windows or doors of the car and waiting at least a few minutes until it becomes more bearable to sit inside the car.

Even something that is not enclosed as a car can still get very hot to the touch, so hot that its painful to try and sit on, motorcycles can be like this but even mobility scooters too.

Leaving a mobility scooter in direct sunlight for a short space of time on a hot day is not as much of an issue but if you intend to leave yours for a few hours, maybe outside a front door or in a garden, it will become extremely hot depending on how its been made.

The type of covering on the seat will determine how hot it will actually become and if yours is the type that you know will become very hot while its not being used and left in the direct sun then you are best off covering the mobility scooter with something or trying to shade the areas of it that are likely to become intensely hot.

When at all possible, if there is a shade covered area that is safe to leave your scooter in then this is your best bet.

Other areas of the scooter that need to be touched, basically anywhere near the control panel, the handles, anything that might hold the heat are all areas of discomfort if not kept cool from the daytime sunshine.

Save yourself the pain of a hot to the touch mobility scooter by keeping it shaded and cooler when not in use during these hot summer days.

Hope you are all enjoying this lovely summer weather that we are having during the month of June.

Many people like to think that certain belongings will be quite safe if left unattended for a short time, especially if you’re in a low crime area and when it comes to mobility aids then surely most people will have morals right? Surely they wouldn’t dream of stealing a mobility scooter, knowing that the user is in need of it.

Sadly though we live in a society where theres always a handful of people who wouldn’t give a second thought about how it will affect the owner if their mobility scooter is stolen.

No matter where you need to leave your mobility scooter, whether its outside a shop or left near the front door of a friends house that you’re visiting you need to be aware that its a temptation and a possible quick earner for those looking out for them, as well as from opportunistic theft.

Because of the risk of yours being stolen its worth considering insuring your mobility scooter as the last thing that you need is to become a victim of theft and then end up severely out of pocket if yours is not covered.

There are also alarms suitable for mobility scooters and anything that inconveniences a thief or puts them off completely is a worthwhile investment.

Never think that it wont happen to you and never underestimate the short space of time that it takes for your mobility scooter to literally be lifted and loaded into the back of a waiting van or a trailer and taken away.