Apr
Be Seen On Your Mobility Scooter
People are often reminded to look out for certain vehicles on the road and how some are not so easily seen by others, drivers are told to take extra care to look out for motorcycles and pedestrians but there are also others that they should look out for.
Mobility scooters that are legal to use on UK roads also need to be seen by drivers, they may not be the first thing that a driver is looking out for but with an increase in mobility scooters seen on UK roads and pavements its something that needs to be seen for the safety of all road users and pedestrians on pavements.
There are a number of high visibility additions for mobility scooters, one being fluorescent seat covers that usually cover the whole back rest of the seat and are great for making sure that you are seen on the roads and pavements, especially from behind.
There are also high visibility bags that attach to your scooter, as well as crutch and walking stick holders, they are all designed for use with your mobility scooter and with the added benefit of being highly visible so that people notice your scooter and it increases safety for you and others.
Making your mobility scooter and yourself highly visible outside greatly increases safety for you without having to cost much at all.
June 21st, 2009 at 11:15 am
this one made me chuckle , as the biggest problem you face as a scooter driver is pedestrians and motorists with their brains TURNED FIRMLY OFF ! , I have 2 orange flashing becons on one of my scooters and usually ware a reflective jacket as well on the other .
one of the MAJOR problems these days are mobile phones and i-pods !!,people walk round totally unaware of their surroundings , and cant hear you coming , so guys GET SOME INSURANCE COVER !, LEAST , least ways then if you do get hit by a car driver or get blamed for injuring a pedestrian , you have some financial back up
oh and learn to drive defensively ! anticipate the actions of others , and always assume they have not seen you , wont stop , or are just plain dumb !! – look for heads down phone users , wire trailing i-pods and out of control kids !! – all of which you will encounter in any town .
stay safe !!
June 21st, 2009 at 2:18 pm
Thats a good point that you make, even if the mobility scooter user is completely switched on and aware of their surroundings and doing everything correctly its difficult to know how some of the motorists and as you say, even pedestrians will act.
Its interesting what you mention of mobiles and ipods and similar gadgets because on an almost daily basis i see a young man who literally goes nowhere without his phone held at about chest height, he’s usually listening to music on it, so generally not listening out for vehicles and his concentration doesn’t look like its on his surroundings much.
I must say that i have witnessed a handful of mobility scooter users over time who could also do the same with regards to being responsible, i saw an elderly woman tip hers over before by being what appeared to be oblivious to the slope of a corner that she was taking and ive seen pedestrains almost forced off the pavement onto the road by almost speeding mobility scooter users and users that glide past too close to pedestrains even though the pedestrains have moved out of the way.
I think overall people using the roads, pavements and other public areas all need to keep our eyes and ears open for each other and to be as responsible as we can.
July 6th, 2009 at 5:28 am
yep agree with you there , scooter user need to realise that these machines ARE capable of causing injury and possibly even worse to people if they hit them , and in these days of “blame and claim ” , as i have said insurance is a MUST HAVE !! , OH AND IF IN THE UK ,using a class 3 scooter there is a requirement to get it registered and taxed ! – will your insurance company pay out if you cant be a****d to do this ?? one to think on
now as to driving , irresponsible scooter users give us ALL a bad name , , there are enougth people out there who think we should NOT be allowed to use them now ( wonder if their attitude will change when they need one ?? ) and of course they ARE a fairly modern phenomena , the biggest hazard previously being prams /pushchairs and of course push bikes ( and some of their users need to slow down ! ) we as a group MUST , use our brains , slow down and give way where nessesery , and use speed sensibly , this is NOT to say we should accept being treated as second class citzens – if you get abused ( happens folks ) then challenge the abuser !! – as i observed to a lady who for no apparent reason screamed at me the other day for supposedly “speeding ” , “madam ,I have driven all sorts of vehicles over the years including fire engines , and have never killed or injured any one with those so i think i can handle this ” – stopping and challenging works – she went red and mumbled an apologie
at the end of the day all we can do is SEE AND BE SEEN – , and if the pedestrians have their brains switched off – then have good insurance cover , i am pondering fitting a video recording system to my scooter to record each journey – just for “evidential ” reasons you understand – well it might make a good “you tube ” video too
take care out there folks .
July 22nd, 2009 at 2:09 am
I really agree scooter users need to be aware of others that don’t look where they are going and at the same time accept that there are other people with the same rights to use the pavements and roads, I really like the video camera idea, I looked at the ones that fit to side of a helmet for my wife who does a school crossing patrol, she was abused by a parent but the police were a waste of time and the council won’t allow use of the helmet camera while on duty.
I found a bright flashing amber LED low current light called a Rearguard to fasten on my head rest so others coming up behind to see me on the road (not many pavements in rural areas) I then found a very good beacon by Curtis Instruments (even allowed VAT exemption) to mount on a pole at rear above my head height so it can be seen from all directions as required by law on some dual carraigeways but recommended on all dual carraigeways by DfT. I hope I have not done wrong stating the names of the warning devices but they are so hard to find I would like to make others aware they are available, I am in no way connected with either product or supplier.
July 22nd, 2009 at 3:24 pm
Contax, by all means do feel free to let others know where they can find what you have been successful in obtaining yourself.
Im sure many others can have difficulties finding a supplier of some products, and at the right price.
Its good to be so safety conscious and aware of your surroundings.
August 10th, 2009 at 3:19 pm
[...] been some discussion regarding this in the comments of one of the articles here on mobilityright at be seen on your mobility scooter and it appears that mobility scooter users can become frustrated at times with pedestrians and road [...]