8mph mobility scooters

MouldyOldDough

Are 8 mph mobility scooters allowed on pavements?
We have woman near us that 'shoots' up pavements near me, never looking out for pedestrians and giving the impression that she owns the pavement!
She almost took my wife out this morning when my wife walked out of the garden gate 

born_again

Highway code

Rule 39

Powered wheelchairs and scooters MUST NOT travel faster than 4 mph (6 km/h) on pavements or in pedestrian areas. You may need to reduce your speed to adjust to other pavement users who may not be able to move out of your way quickly enough or where the pavement is too narrow.

So a word in their ear, or asking a local PCSO to do so might be in order. But also taking care walking out of gate should have picked them up as well.

Keep_pedalling

Class 3 scooters are allowed on pavements but there are restricted to 4mph when doing so. Good luck in trying to get anyone to act against speeding hells grannies. 

Rodders53

Class 3 scooters?  Yes they are - but only if slowed down to 4 mph max.  (Tortoise rather than hare mode).  Pavement (Class 2) scooter speed limit.
https://www.gov.uk/mobility-scooters-and-powered-wheelchairs-rules
They should be registered (have number plates).

BUT Your wife should look both ways before emerging from garden gate...  there might have been a kiddie on a bike passing !!

NB The number of people that just walk out of shop doorways and the like, without looking, straight into the path of my wife in her pavement only shopping scooter (4mph max) or power wheelchair is amazing.  She is fortunately very aware of that possibility and her devices will stop very quickly on release of the controls.

NB2 4mph is a very brisk walking pace.

Brie

I'd be changing the garden gate so it swings outward.  If that means the scooter hits the gate well that's their own fault!

MouldyOldDough

This one has a plastic tent - apparently permanently on - which is crinkled and prevents the crone from seeing what's going on around her !

Shirker_Bee

Foul Mouthed Motability Scootah Man

Frederick Wilkinson, 53, shouted at one pedestrian: “You f****** daft t***, get out of the f****** way”

https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/he-said-nothing-f-bh-12427052

35har1old

Brie said:

I'd be changing the garden gate so it swings outward.  If that means the scooter hits the gate well that's their own fault!

First you need to apply to your local authority for permission and if you Don't it might put you in a tricky legal position if someone gets injured could prove expensive.

HillStreetBlues

One issue is that people that are unfit to drive a car, end up on one of these driving on pavements. I'm all for giving people freedom, but it shouldn't be at the expence of safety of others.

MouldyOldDough

Rodders53 said:

Class 3 scooters?  Yes they are - but only if slowed down to 4 mph max.  (Tortoise rather than hare mode).  Pavement (Class 2) scooter speed limit.
https://www.gov.uk/mobility-scooters-and-powered-wheelchairs-rules
They should be registered (have number plates).

BUT Your wife should look both ways before emerging from garden gate...  there might have been a kiddie on a bike passing !!

NB The number of people that just walk out of shop doorways and the like, without looking, straight into the path of my wife in her pavement only shopping scooter (4mph max) or power wheelchair is amazing.  She is fortunately very aware of that possibility and her devices will stop very quickly on release of the controls.

NB2 4mph is a very brisk walking pace.

This one does not have any reg plates on it either!! 

Cyclamen

Sadly there are people who drive both mobility scooters, cars, bicycles who dont follow the rules.

Class 3 are counted as road/ pavement scoters and can only be used on the pavement on the 'slow setting' many not all have a tortoise/hare switch.  Some of the newer ones just have a speed dial and can actually go pretty fast.. great if you know what you are doing and are on the road following the rules really scary on pavement.

I used a mobility scooter for about 4 years , was previously a car driver and now use a wheelchair.  There is no training requirement for mobility scooters or powerchairs bought privately.  The shop is meant to check you are competent but thats pretty much 'this is start, stop and steer here'.  The NHS issued wheelchairs do come with some 'driver training' and an outdoor use orientation but it is limited.   

This does not excuse unsafe driving.  You could ring local non emergency police and give details so they can do an 'education visit' . 

I am horrified by some peoples lack of manners, thought and consideration .  

But please for those of us who do try to be safe considerat scooter/ wheelchair drivers dont think we are all like that.  Mistakes do get made, accidents do happen but i think most of the community are equally cross and frustrated by the bad drivers just as car drivers and cyclists are by the few who are unsafe in their categories.