A new study by the ACCC has confirmed what many able-bodied pedestrians have long suspected: Mobility scooters are dangerous!
The report found that in the two years between July 2006 and June 2008, there was a total of 442 hospitalisations related to mobilt scooter falls. The researchers at Monash University also wanted to make it clear that the number would have been significantly higher had the study included other accidents like collisions.
From the press release:
“Motorised mobility scooters are an increasingly viable option for older people to maintain independence and engagement with the community and provide physical, social and health benefits,” ACCC deputy chair Peter Kell said.
“However, there are important safety concerns that the ACCC, in conjunction with other agencies, are working to address.
“According to the Monash research, increasing use may see hospitalisations related to mobility scooter accidents grow by around 250 per cent over the next ten years in Victoria alone,” Mr Kell said.
Given that these motorised scooters are allowed to be ridden on the footpath when vehicles like the Segway aren’t in certain states it’s most likely we’ll start seeing more and more regulations imposed on these vehicles. The ACCC is already working with relevant groups and Standards Australia to increase safety.
In the meantime, if you see a mobility scooter riding towards you, proceed with caution!
[ACCC]
Biderjum
Thursday, March 24, 2011 at 4:19 PMI nearly got got run over one of them this morning, the old dude laughed at me as I dived out of the way, felt like slashing his tires and having a laugh back!
I wonder if this related to the increase in crime against the elderly?
Peter Simpson
Thursday, March 24, 2011 at 4:35 PMWorking in a shopping mall, these are a absolute pain. Bad enough dodging them when the drivers won’t slow down. Then you also have them hogging aisles, knocking down displays and generally being a pain as they try navigate out. I may regret saying this, but I often wonder if technological advances in geriatric transport are just going to end us all
Womp
Thursday, March 24, 2011 at 5:33 PMHow about we start enforcing the Laws we ALREADY have. In South Australia at least scooters must by Law giveway to all pedestrians.
The number of times I have seen the cops hassling kids on skateboards while an old geezer on a gopher hurtles though a crowd of people sending them diving for cover and yet the geezer is ignored by the cops is ridiculous.
Nodeity
Thursday, March 24, 2011 at 5:41 PMWe’ve got an old bloke locally who thinks he has every right to drive in the middle of a busy road at 15kph!! He may even have that right, seeing as the damn thing has license plates, but he’ a frigging menace, and make no mistake! Plus he has a tendency to wonder from one side of the lane to the other as he shakes his fist at the poor buggers blowing there horns to get past him!! :]
Stew
Thursday, March 24, 2011 at 11:11 PMWHOA. I may not know anything about stats or maths or anything, but if that’s a 250% increase in Victoria alone then that means it’s a 2000% increase across all of Australia’s 8 states & territories!
QUICK! SOMEONE GET FOX NEWS! WE NEED TO MAKE THE PEOPLE PANIC!
tictac
Friday, March 25, 2011 at 4:08 AMI saw a woman who had her ankle run into twice in quick succession. It looked very painful, and she was not happy. The driver was apologetic but did not seem overly concerned. It was inexcusable.
Gordy Lane
Monday, March 28, 2011 at 12:19 AMMy mum uses a scooter, and I have a lot of experience walking with her, and I find so many pedestrians are idiots. They’ll stare right at her and fail to let her pass, they’ll rush or twirl in front of her scooter rather than wait 3 seconds… and shops… If you don’t want your displays knocked down, get them the hell out of the way.
Whats worse is the abuse that is thrown at people riding scooters. Every couple of weeks mum is upset by some random person shouting abuse at her simply because she’s in a scooter. She’s even been physically threatened by people when she’s asked them politely to let her pass.
Don’t forget; people in scooters are in them because they have to be. If they weren’t they would be prisoners in their own homes. Scooters give them freedom and dignity. Most are very considerate, remember that the next time you’re “inconvenienced” by someone who otherwise would not be able to participate in your community, or would be more reliant on expensive government services, or would not be able to buy from your stores.
BTW, if you see that old bloke swerving in the middle of the road; call the police. He has licence plates – he’s on the road – help other motorists and help he needs… or even better; lobby your council to fix up the footpaths so he can drive on the footpath without tipping over and beoing caught under his heavy scooter.
Julie
Wednesday, September 7, 2011 at 10:12 PMI agree that less mobile people need to be able to get around independently but does that mean that this is at the expense of the safety of able-bodied people, or even themselves? I know many people in these scooters are courteous and do the right thing but there are many who are just arrogant and drive around with chips on their shoulders with little or no consideration for others beleiving that because they are old they have more rights and everyone should just get out of their way.
John Robertson
Wednesday, February 15, 2012 at 6:46 PMBicycles are the menace with the lycra set abusing car pedestians and mobility scooter riders .”THE SMART SET like to think they are at liberty to use the roads only .The older mobility users seem very polite and easy to get along with .MAYBE we should just shoot older useless people and be rid of them starting with me .I was run overDELIBERATELY by a 4 wheel drive and robbed when walking but no charges were laid by police $1500 LOST AND STILL MANY MONTHS LATER IN PAIN .
melissa
Monday, April 2, 2012 at 9:04 PMMy 6 month old daughter was sitting in her pram ( in a parent with prams parking area I might add) while I got my two other children from my car when she was rammed from behind because the old man who was tearing along could not even be bother to ask me to move. He continued to ram my pram until it was out of his way, which had the pram tipped could have killed my baby daugher. I think there needs to be much better laws surrounding the use of these mobility devices. I sure the offer much needed independance to users but it is evident that many users to not respect others or the fact that they are in motor vehicles and as such can cause significant injury to others.