Mobility scooter users on main roads

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Mobility scooter users on main roads

I have just had this article published in my local papers for two consecutive weeks and with good results.

A new mobility shop has just opened in my town of Exmouth replacing the previous business who formerly had the monopoly.

Chris Cheverst Mobility will be looking after the towns many many mobility scooter users and has offered to provide those who take out his breakdown cover with both high visibility vests and stickers. This is excellent news and shows that we can all work together to help keep the elderly safe on our roads.

This is my original article

Mobility scooter users on busy main roads are an accident waiting to happen if they don’t make more effort to make themselves visible to other road users.

I am the biggest advocate when it comes to keeping the elderly independent but I do have concerns about some mobility scooters users.

Would you feel happy if your 87 year old relative rode a motorbike on a busy road with no high visibility vest and no helmet ?
Obviously not. However on a daily basis hundreds of elderly people take to the roads on scooters and can hardly been seen.
Bearing in mind also that being elderly many may have sight and hearing impairments and have taken a cocktail of prescription medications that day. If they take Warfarin there is also a risk of heavy bleeding if they are knocked off the scooter.
I personally feel that the manufacturers have a duty to make these vehicles far more visible, perhaps make them all high-visibility colours. Until they do it is the responsibility of the driver (and family/carers to help).
A simple solution is to use a high-visibility vest available from car,bike and sports shops and place this around the back of the seat using the velcro tabs supplied to keep it in place.
I am also suggesting to my clients to consider wearing cycle helmets when driving on the main roads. Several of them have had collisions and injured people and damaged their scooters !
Caron

Award-winning blogger and former care columnist for Devon Life magazine. I am passionate about helping elderly people and people with dementia live purposeful and independent lives.
Designer of the Dementia Assistance Card and Points Of Light award recipient, Caron hopes to help carers when resources are limited and demand is ever-increasing. I am here to support you.

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