If you haven’t read the unfortunate case of Albert and Kath Adams, then you should.  In short, the couple left their mobility scooter outside their home and a young gang member set it alight.  In a tragic turn of events the fire spread to their home, killing them both.

Thankfully the young thug who set fire to both their mobility scooter and home has been arrested and it looks like he’ll be charged.

handcuffs

The case is all too familiar to police up and down the country – a sheltered housing estate comprising retired senior citizens is terrorised by a local gang.  Cue courageous individual who tackles the yobs and sends them packing only for them to return and in a supreme act of cowardice attack their car or house.  Or in this instance their mobility scooter.

Which brings me to the purpose of this piece.  How do you protect your mobility scooter?

Well, the most obvious point is to always garage your scooter, even if you live in a sheltered or gated community.   Just put it away.   If you don’t have room in your garage then see if you can park it round the side of your property, in a secure yard or even in the back garden.  Simply keep it on your property and away from public view.

Most mobility scooters come with covers that protect them from the elements as well as from dust, dirt and scratches.  If you have a cover, make sure that it’s thrown over your scooter after each time you’ve used it.

The more hidden your scooter is, the better protected it will be.

Many retired or disabled people, however, don’t have the luxury of a garage, garden or even a yard.  Often they live in flats or in blocks with no private space outside their front doors.  So what can these people do?  Hmmm….

I spoke with a few industry insiders and this is what I was told.

-          Some scooters are offered with movement detector alarms and these are worth investing in – they are a very effective deterrent.

-          Tracker technology is being investigated by a few manufacturers but, as yet, no manufacturer has offered a scooter with tracker technology.

-          Ensure all valuables are out of sight or securely locked away in the vehicle’s lockable storage compartments.

-          Above all ensure you have good insurance and make sure you are clear exactly what it covers you for.

All good advice…

As soon as any more information about this comes onto the market it will be posted on my blog.  Stay tuned.