Charities Call For Stricter Regulations On Mobility Scooters
Mobility scooters were back in the headlines this month with a number of influential road charities calling for tighter restrictions on mobility scooter users, particularly scooters used on pavements.
IAM Roadsmart, a leaving driver awareness group in the UK, suggests that those caught committing offences such as driving a mobility scooter under the influence of drugs or alcohol repeat times should face having their scooter seized.
Under current legislation, mobility scooters require no licence in order to be driven – which means anyone caught committing an offence can continue driving their scooter and are charged with penalties (fines) instead.
Rebecca Ashton, from IAM Roadsmart, said: “Anyone driving a mechanically-propelled vehicle must be in full control of it, they need to be fully capable of controlling the machine to avoid causing danger to themselves or other road users.”
What’s more, the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) has added that “the number of accidents and casualties involving mobility scooters is increasing.
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It would help if it was made clear that road traffic laws governing careless and dangerous driving all apply to mobility scooter users.”
The calls for stricter regulations come after a man was punished with a driving ban for three years after being found driving his mobility scooter under the influence of alcohol – a ban put in place even though the man concerned doesn’t use a car.
Additionally, incidents with mobility scooters appear to be increasing each year, with more accidents involving scooters than ever before both with cars and pedestrians.
Don’t get caught out when using your mobility scooter – make sure you know the correct rules and regulations you should be following to stay safe at all times.
