us to put on a council proficiency test day then we are happy to do that free of charge, however, we can’t force the users to take part.” Is legislation needed? A controversial topic is that of regulations and legislation concerning the requirements for individuals to ride mobility vehicles and the conditions under which they are sold. A key argument in favour of regulation is its ability to level the playing field, with retailers that voluntarily undertake assessments and training being at a disadvantage to those that offer very little or none. “Some form of regulation will need to be brought in I think because something is needed across the board that every seller is included under,” commented People First Mobility’s Karen Sheppard. “We won’t sell a product to somebody if it is not right for them and it is something we all feel very strongly about because I don’t want that on my conscious. If people are looking for something that is cheap and unsuitable, then I don’t want to be a part of that, but the concern is how easy it is for customers to find that.” Torbay Mobility’s Ian Gray suggested: “All mobility scooters should have an ‘MOT’ - type of test annually at a physical mobility retail store.” Discussions surrounding driving licenses for mobility scooter users, compulsory testing and re-testing, mandatory training & assessment and more have all been raised, yet the magnitude of introducing and enforcing such wide sweeping regulations has raised doubts as to how realistic it would be to implement on a national scale. Wings Mobility noted that whilst legislation is always an option, it is important to ‘remember that for any new laws to be effective they must be enforced. Who will meet the responsibility, or costs, for that?’ With such high potential costs for implementing and enforcing such legislation, there seems to be little appetite in the Government to
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introduce such laws, with previous calls from MPs gaining little traction in the House of Parliament. One possible solution proposed was the introduction of compulsory insurance. At present, users do not need insurance for a mobility scooter or powered wheelchair, although it is recommended by the Government. As a response to the rise in mobility scooter accidents, retailer TPG DisableAids made the decision to include insurance with every mobility vehicle the company sold, however Alastair Gibbs suggested that compulsory insurance may not be the answer. “The compulsory insurance route is so full of pitfalls and unfair to some of the customers that can’t afford it and yet have no choice but to be in a
regulations will remain a hot topic inside and outside the industry. There are a large proportion of retailers operating ethically in the industry and providing the necessary assessment and training required when selling mobility vehicles, however, consumers are becoming ever more price-sensitive and can easily go to internet-sellers who are able to offer cheaper prices without the overheads associated with training and assessment costs. If this trend continues, there is a worrying chance that the trend of accidents may not see a decline, especially with the number of mobility scooter users expected to continue to increase significantly over the coming years. This intensifies the need to raise
“The compulsory insurance route is so full of pitfalls and unfair to some of the customers that can’t afford it and yet have no choice but to be in a mobility device” ALASTAIR GIBBS
mobility device,” he explained. With some insurance companies such as Fish Insurance offering customers of the retailers they work free insurance for a limited period, a concern is that compulsory insurance would push up prices for consumers, pricing out those who rely on these products to maintain their mobility and independence. Can the trend fall? Although legislation may be a way off, conversations over safety and
awareness nationally about the importance of training, the dangers of operating a mobility vehicle without it and encouraging consumers to purchase from responsible retailers, as well as continuing to build on the activities currently done by various organisations, charities and business in the industry. What are your thoughts concerning the rise of mobility scooter accidents? Contact calvin@thiis.co.uk to share your thoughts.
CLASS IS IN SESSION Mobility Scooters (referred to as invalid carriages in law) come in two classes. Class 2 invalid carriages – With a maximum speed of 4mph, these vehicles cannot be used on the road (except where there isn’t a pavement) and do not need to be registered with the DVLA. Class 3 invalid carriages – With a maximum speed limit of 8mph, these vehicles can be used on the road and can also be used on pavements, where the speed needs to be restricted to 4mph. These vehicles do need to be registered with the DVLA.