General Chat

BBC1. . . just watching now. :-D :-D :-D

I have a pavement one and never out without my 'minder'. Insurance did cross my mind the other week though. However I find that my problem is the pedestrians - I have become invisible and stop and toot my liittle horn, sometimes it works - others it does not.

After sort of watching the programme, insurance sounds a very good idea.

It only needs one person hard of hearing or with attention span of a gnat to decide to walk in front of the scooter and the driver could have a hefty personal injury claim!

Dear Sue, Chris and Detective

Hello to you all

I reckon, a tannoy should be used!

"Coming through, make way please or I'll run over your tootsies!"


Take gentle care all
Very best wishes
Elizabeth,
xx

I recorded it to watch later but did see snippets between o.h. telling me about his day.

I think insurance would be a good idea unless you have personal liability ins with your house insurance.

Lizx

that could be fine with your own scooter, but what if you hire/borrow one from the mobility people at some supermarkets,
is there a form to fill in re liability insurance?
Bob

I was out on my mobility scooter yesterday and I lost count of the number of times I had to stop to avoid hitting idiots texting on their phones and not watching where they were going - so maybe they should have insurance to cover themselves for incidents caused by their own acts & omissions.

That's true, but in this age of no win, no fee claims a scooters insurance company has the resources to successfully fight a pedestrians claim.

Let's be honest, pedestrians do tend to use their hearing to alert them to dangers . Electric scooters are quite quiet. The programme featured some owners who were certainly driving faster than a comfortable walking speed!

Scooters also travel at faster than walking pace which causes a lot of problems, I think. The speed they can travel at should be limited and that would avoid some collisions.

What most owners of mobility scooters are not aware of is that it is THEIR responsibility to make pedestrians aware of them and not the other way round.

Guinevere, that is only feasible for the scooters which can only be used on the pavement. Those which are 'roadworthy' have to travel at a faster than walking speed.

Personally I beleive all should have insurance and have to take a short course in how to use them correctly. As for being covered for liability with your house insurance, that is a problem as you could end up having to sell your house if the claim spirals out of control like that poor lady in the show. Yes I know she had no insurance and is living in a B&B but because she still has her name on the deeds to the house she shared with her ex-husband they may have to sell the house to pay her debts. This was through an ambulance chasing firm obviously as the personal injury payment was £5,000.00 and £16,000.00 to the solicitors (who should hang their heads in shame). 'NO WIN NO FEE' for the claimant 'NO HOME' for the accused!!!

I would hate anyone who has one to lose it and thus lose their independance, which is paramount for all users.

But many of the drivers of these scooters seem to lose all sense of responsibility when they sit down on one...... ;-)

There is supposed to be a speed limit of 4 mph for scooters on pavements.

Unfortunately the 'road' models can travel at up to 8 miles an hour, so if someone decides to use one of them on the pavement., they can easily break the 4 mph speed limit if they choose to.

EDIT: Road models should be fitted with a device that will limit their speed to 4mph ( ie for when they're used on the pavement), so users really have no excuse for excessive speeds on the pavement.

Whether a pedestrian or a mobility scooter user, it is all down to showing consideration and respect to others. I have been using a mobility scooter for nearly 5 years and like to think I do both of these.

I agree that some mobility scooter users think they are doing a circuit at Brands Hatch or Donnington Park, that said, I have found those users to be in the minority as most of the users I have come across - behave in a responsible manner.

Many users, including myself, are pensioners on low incomes and paying for insurance could be, the straw that breaks the camels back, resulting in them becoming housebound because they cannot afford the insurance premiums.

I also think that if a scooter user has been a driver in the past they probably have a better understanding of how pedestrians think (or not!)

The problem is often those who have never driven and just do not understand the 'rules of the road'. Clamber on their scooter and off they go on merrily on their way without any consideration for those who they share the pavement and roads with.

I would add, that in the High Street of my nearest town, most of those who think they are another Lewis Hamilton, are those on scooters with adverts on the front & back that say - "This scooter has been hired from" then giving the name of the shop that hires them out.

Relative rents a mobility scooter in town and he is covered by their insurance.

Mine is a max of 4 mph - do not think it is as fast as that and I drove up to 6 years ago - I do miss my lovely BM.

Must check on the public liability - we used to have it I know.

It's great to see so many users out & about. Who wants to be stuck at home all day, every day?

But, they shouldn't drive faster than their Guardian Angel can fly.

My 96 year uncle died after being knocked over by an electric scooter, broke his hip and and he passed away 2 days after from pneumonia............ not on the the pavement or on the road but in the corridor of his nursing home when he stepped out of his room into the path of one being driven by a fellow resident.

Ironically, he had been a London cab driver for at least 50 years without an accident. :-(

Away at a conference and so busy over the last few days . . .
but looking in again now . . . :-)

Joeva: so sorry to hear that your uncle met his demise after being hit by an electric scooter. :-(

I think the lessons learned from the programme have been said on here . . .
thanks to everyone who has contributed, btw . . .
(1) watch out for other people who can't hear you coming (even if you are tooting) and
(2) watch out for people who are not concentrating. :-D :-D

When you are hard of hearing, even if you do wear aids, anyone approaching from behind is usually not heard. This applies to mobility scooters, cyclists and even runners. We have one part that is dual use cycles and pedestrians (and mobility scooters of course. It is often a shock when somebody whooshes past at speed faster than my walking speed. I always think, I could have stepped sideways there, not knowing they are coming past. I wish they would have bells or something. (By the way, despite my age I am usually a fast walker).

By sheer coincidence Ann that actually happened to me today.

Was out walking this morning along sea front and a cyclist pedalled quite fast around me. He gave me such a fright that I shouted after him "use your bell"...he shouted back that he didn't have one, so I then said "well buy one so folk can hear you coming!" he wore a crash helmet, but I didn't :-P

I got some abuse back ( didn't hear as he was by then too far away) grrr :-|