Nearly run down by a mobility scooter

Extracts from the Department for Transport's website;

"Class 3
Mechanically propelled invalid carriages that are constructed or adapted to be capable of exceeding a speed of 4mph but incapable of exceeding a speed of 8mph on the level under its own power (generally powered wheelchairs and other outdoor vehicles including scooters intended for use on roads/highways). They must be fitted with a device capable of limiting the maximum speed to 4mph for use when travelling on footways. The unladen weight must not exceed 150kgs. These are required to be registered with DVLA."

"Class 3 invalid carriages need to be registered for road use, be licensed in the "disabled" taxation class and display a nil duty tax disc. Unlike ordinary cars, invalid carriages do not need to provide evidence of VED exemption when licensing in the disabled class. Also, they are exempt from paying the first registration fee and are not required to display registration plates."

"In order to register and license a class 3 invalid carriage the user will need to complete form V55/5 (for used vehicles) or V55/4 (for new vehicles) - and take or send it to their nearest DVLA local office"

"Should I have insurance?
Although it is not a legal requirement, it is strongly advised to have insurance. Suitable schemes are not too expensive and are available to cover your personal safety, other people’s safety and the value of the vehicle."

Back to a very early comment on this but if they go on the road, they would require insurance, a licence, road tax and an MOT (of sort) They are not allowed on the road and YES people can and have been ran down by them.

I got knocked down not to long ago and ended up breaking my ankle is 2 places.....

My mother is disabled and refuses to use one. instead she has a standard wheel chair and is very thoughtful to other path way users

I have to use a mobility scooter. I live in a road of terraced houses. My gripe is that people, one house in particular, will not leave my entrance free so that I can get my scooter out to use it. Is there any one I can contact, or anything I can do to make sure vehicles will leave the entrance free, it is only a yard in width. There is a notice on the entrance gate to say it is used for a mobility scooter, so anyone parking knows. The Police suggest that I go and ask whoever is blocking my was if they would move the car. Can you imagine what answer I might get!!! I feel that is humiliating as surely I have a right to use my scooter without asking anyone else.

Just nick the shopping from the front basket and run up some stairs...

Remember stairs stopped the most evil Dalek race from conquering the universe... untill they learned to fly...that is so this advice is good untill the bring out flying spaz scooters...

As a disabled person it really does not help when one person acts like a road hog on their scooter and gives the rest of us with mobility problems a hard time by most people lumping us in the same barrrel as them.

As it happens I walk with sticks and I was also nearly mown down by an inconsiderate mobility impared person, it is hard enough to get out and when you do you want to feel safe after that experience it took me two months to have the courage to go outside again. It would be nice if their was more courtesy and understanding in this world from those (the scooter drivers) that should know better!!!

Lottie, just to clarify the legal situation, the ones that can only do 4 mph are not legally allowed on the roads. Only the 8 mph ones are. Of course they might still only do 4 mph, and it's still horrible to be stuck behind one even if it's speeding along at 8!

I like most poeple am in favour of older people, disabled people etc being able to get out.

However...............have you ever been stuck behind one on a busy Friday evening on the way home from work, nowhere to overtake, all the cars backing up because everyone has to pootle along behind one at 4mph, a jouney that should take 10 minutes all of a sudden takes 30 mins.

Its at this point that (I know what I'm about to say is not nice) you just want knock them off the road and break the God Damn machine so it can't hold anyone up ever again!!!

I think it is hilarious that anyone would genuinely be frightened of a mobility scooter! hahahaha you people are so odd

It is not only old people who use mobility scooters ,there are some young disabled people I hope you never have to depend on a scooter to get around ,the majority of people are careful and I have never heard of anyone getting run down by one .

As a scooter user I must admit there are a lot of users who abuse the use of them,and they should
be brought to book,mine is loaned to me by The Royal British Legion. and is road legal but I only
use the roads where the pavements are in bad order or when selfish vehicle users have commandeerd them illegally,and in the district I live in, believe me there is are a lot of both. and the
amount of abuse one gets from drivers when using the highway is unbelieveable,I have had a full
licence for many years,and do my best to obey the rules and only do 4mph on the footpath if I can
use it in West-Berks. the no do council if you live here. Comments welcome.

There are two categories of mobility scooter; ones that cannot exceed 4mph and ones that can go up to 8mph.. The 4mph ones are only for use on the pavement and do not need to be licensed. The faster ones do need to be licensed and have a 4mph speed limiter for pavement use; or they can go on the road at speeds between 4 and 8mph..

I do agree with you, Jason, about some users looking as if they should be using their legs a bit more, but there are also alot of users with genuine mobility problems.

What many people don't know is that these things should be licenced by law. They are classed as a type of motor vehicle and therefore have to have some sort of licence to drive. Apparently there are over 100,000 of these things unlicenced in the UK alone. They are a menice and the people on them are invariably fat and gormless looking. It's not a 'medical device' as some pretend it is, as they're not issued by doctors, you buy them from the back of the sunday papers. Invariably those that drive them have an attitude of 'get out of my way or i'll ram you down' too. Perhaps it the tubby people who insist on using them were to walk instead they woundn't be so fat and unhealthy in the first place.