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AIBU

to think mobility scooters should stay on the pavement unless they are registered and insured

(29 Posts)
M0nica Sat 18-Mar-17 14:59:50

This morning I was driving through a small local town; the road was narrow, there was oncoming traffic and, despite the presence of a more than ample well surfaced pavement, traffic was held up by a mobility scooter, hogging the centre of the road and, approaching a roundabout, was failing to give any indication which way he wanted to go when he reached it.

I know there are times when there is a lack of a proper footpath or no path at all, but I still think that if a mobility scooter is going to go on the road, then the driver should be assessed as mentally and physically capable of driving on a public road, and should have a registration number on the vehicle that shows they are insured.

This not the first time I have experienced poor driving by mobility scooter drivers. Last year I was on a coach trip, sitting behind the driver looking out on the road ahead over his head. We were in a deeply rural area going up a steep blind hill behind a mobility scooter, travelling very slowly. As we reached the top and had a clear view so that the coach driver could start to overtake, the mobility scooter suddenly slewed across the road in front of the coach and then briefly waved their right hand to show they wanted to turn right. It was only the coach driver's careful driving that saved the scooter and its driver from being run over.

Jayanna9040 Mon 20-Mar-17 10:24:01

I was hit by a mobility scooter rounding a corner. If I'd been smaller it would have knocked me off my feet. I really think there should be compulsory insurance to cover accidents, just like any other vehicle. Bikes too, for that matter .

rosesarered Mon 20-Mar-17 10:44:40

Iam64 and shinyredcar your posts were amusing.grin

I think that there may be some problems where users of mob scooters were never drivers before, and once they have the scooter, driving it in the road without knowing anything much about the highway code.
I can see that pavements are often narrow and sometimes obstructed too.
Have never seen younger ones on a mob scooter, have they borrowed Grans one?

emmasnan Mon 20-Mar-17 11:03:31

I have no objection to mobility scooters on the road or pavement as long as they take care not to run in to other pedestrians and follow the rules that others have to follow when on the road.

A person local to me often rides through a busy junction with no right turn. He still turns right causing others to brake dangerously to avoid an accident. He was also riding towards the same junction recently while using his mobile phone.