Battery Power

In the UK mobility scooter sales are soaring, with overcrowding and traffic jams becoming a problem in certain areas. The battery powered scooters are supposed to be driven solely by the disabled, however a new breed of tarmac terror has appeared in the shape of the severely lazy. Questions are being asked in the corridors of power as to why comparatively young and healthy people are now using mobility scooters. Many owners are aged or disabled but there are growing numbers of users who are not. This is pro
August 10, 2012 Read time: 2 mins
In the UK mobility scooter sales are soaring, with overcrowding and traffic jams becoming a problem in certain areas. The battery powered scooters are supposed to be driven solely by the disabled, however a new breed of tarmac terror has appeared in the shape of the severely lazy. Questions are being asked in the corridors of power as to why comparatively young and healthy people are now using mobility scooters.

Many owners are aged or disabled but there are growing numbers of users who are not. This is prompting calls for proper legislation. Top speeds vary from 6.4-12.8km/h, while the scooters are capable of transporting people weighing up to 133kg, but there is no requirement for a licence, insurance or roadworthiness checks and nor are users subject to alcohol tests. As mobility scooters do not have to be registered, accurate numbers are hard to determine but the UK is now thought to have more mobility scooters than any other European nation. According to the UK’s 5432 Department for Transport, there may be 250,000-300,000 mobility scooters in use across the UK, compared with just 70,000 five years ago. And a mobility scooter powered by a supercharged petrol engine was seized by officials in South Yorkshire. The vehicle had been ridden at speeds of up to 100km/h before the 24-year-old rider of the machine was stopped.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Symology supplies the foundations for Tarmac’s Street Works business
    April 7, 2017
    UK contractor Tarmac has been in partnership with Symology since 2011, using a shared management service for asset management to meet tougher government street work regulations, writes Matt Waite Tarmac, with more than 6,600 employees, is the UK’s leading sustainable building materials and construction solutions business. The company has over 330 UK sites from which it delivers contracting and highways maintenance services as well as products such as aggregates, asphalt, cement, lime and ready-mix concre
    Read More
  • Topcon: A revolution in construction technology’s coming
    July 7, 2021
    The construction equipment industry is at a turning point. Topcon’s senior leaders believe that we are about to see a huge surge in the adoption of new construction technologies. The time is ripe as a new, younger and more tech-savvy generation comes to the fore. Governments could save billions, and where does the smartphone fit in?
    Read More
  • More driver licence screening for UK?
    April 25, 2012
    Anomalies regarding the return of driving licenses to people found guilty of serious driving offences have been uncovered in the UK. In a number of instances, these drivers have then gone on to commit more driving offences and in at least two cases, causing fatalities.
    Read More
  • Weigh in motion systems aid overweight vehicle detection
    July 12, 2012
    Modern weighing equipment helps road operators tackle the costly business of road damage caused by overloaded trucks as Patrick Smith reports. Overloading of commercial vehicles has a major impact on the life expectancy of road networks. The cost of premature road failure and repairs is a major burden on many governments particularly in developing countries where this problem diverts vital funding that could otherwise be spent on health and education.
    Read More

Highlighted Content