Britain is the Mobility Scooter Capital of Europe

Britain is the Mobility Scooter Capital of Europe 300,000 on our roads and streets as obesity and number of pensioners soar. According to the British Healthcare Trades Association only 5 years ago there were only 70,000 Mobility Scooters being used in the UK, the numbers today are closer to 300,000. And so as report suggest Britain now has more mobility scooters than anywhere else in Europe. In fact there afre more Mobility Scooters here in the UK than in Holland, where the vehicles are even subject to road traffic laws because so many of their elderly use them as a replacement for cycling. Another reason for this steady increase here in the UK is the rise in our obesity levels. However on the other hand, some people are using Mobility Scooters as they suffer with conditions such as Multiple Sclerosis as sometimes sufferers can walk distance, but on other days they are unable to move. And The Department for Transport has to rely on the British Healthcare Trades Association’s estimates because no official figures are sourced by Government. It is technically illegal to drive a Mobility Scooter without a disability but experts believe clearer regulations are needed. Do you need a Mobility Scooter ? If so, here are a few interesting facts: Anyone over the age of 14 years can buy the fastest class of scooter with no requirement for a licence, training or insurance to drive it. Mobility scooters are battery powered and limited to a maximum 8mph, although some are capable of travelling at speeds of 15mph. Unlike cars, mobility scooters are not subject to official safety checks, and can be sold without any training being given. Although not classed as a motor vehicle, it is illegal in the UK to drive a Mobility Scooter when over the drink-drive limit. Driving a scooter while disqualified can lead to a prison sentence. Demand is so high that at a trade fair in June this year in Peterborough http://www.mobilityroadshow.co.uk/ companies turned up to exhibit their various Mobility Scooter models. Typically a Mobility Scooter is restricted by law to a speed limit of 8mph but can go faster. With Mobility Scooter designs now capable of carrying people weighing as much as 40stone. Some Police Constabularies have organised Mobility Scooter Driver awareness courses, as in some towns almost a third of the population is of retirement age. And Ppensioners are put through their paces on an obstacle course of crossings, traffic lights and cones. One type of Mobility Scooter is a pavement one restricted to just 4mph and then there is a second category of Mobility Scooter which goes up to 8mph and can be ridden on the road. You are breaking the law if you are driving an 8mph scooter at that speed on the pavement.