Posts tagged mobility scooter
Just a little bit More
May 27th
At Mobility Compare we’ve been doing a lot of work on mobility scooters.
Part of this work has involved developing a Buyer’s Guide for potential scooter owners. Our task has been to take the mystique out of buying and owning a scooter and to make purchasing one easier. You can read the Guide we wrote for Daily Mirror Mobility here.
The mobility scooter market is a confusing one. Part of this confusion lies with our very own Government. Did you know, for example, that scooters are classified into Class 2 and Class 3? No? Allow me to enlighten you.
Class 2 mobility scooters are for pavement use only and travel at a less-than-warp speed of 4mph. They also weigh less than 113 kilograms. If the scooter manages to make it to 114 kilograms it transforms into a Class 3 scooter which allows it to pack a punchy extra 4 mph into the bargain.
This extra speed, allowing the scooter to travel at 8mph, sometimes makes enthusiastic owners believe they’re Lewis Hamilton – not the best idea if a Subaru Impreza Turbo has taken the inside lane.
Of course, a Class 3 scooter can also weigh less than 113 kg – the classification is more for the reason they can be used on roads as well as pavements. (But not motorways for obvious reasons.)
Anyway, the faster that the House of Commons Transport Committee reports back to Parliament this year, the sooner confusion can be ironed out. And yes, faster is a pun.
Anyway, as part of our research we came across one major discrepancy.
Some mobility scooter manufacturers offer a cheaper price but batteries, charger & delivery are extra. This can add a substantial sum to the cost of a scooter but these charges are sometimes hidden and only come to light when the dotted line is about to be signed.
For that reason the staff at Mobility Compare are rather partial to the team at More Than Mobility. Why? Their prices for mobility scooters include batteries, charges and delivery. For that reason alone, MTM should be applauded – but when you consider one of their models, the Pride Libre LX, is priced at just £399, then a round of applause is just not enough.
We’d say this is probably the best Class 2 scooter available for the price. It’s that simple.
Don’t let your scooter get stolen!
Mar 11th
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.
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.
British scientists develop tracking technology for mobility scooters
Jan 5th
Mobility electric scooters are a godsend for elderly and disabled users, but they can also become a cause for concern. Why? Elderly people sometimes get disoriented and lost in unfamiliar surroundings. Battery mobility scooters may also run out of charge unexpectedly, and some users have even been known to inadvertently drive their mobility scooters onto motorways and get stuck.
The bottom line is this: how can you track your friend or parent’s mobility scooter when you aren’t with them?
Well, the answer could be at hand. Researchers at De Montfort University (Leicester) and the University of Lincoln are working on a new tracking technology that can prevent users from getting lost.
The device would be fitted on mobility electric scooters and local authority care providers would be able to monitor their location using existing mobile phone technology. Consequently, users would be able to leave their homes without any fear of getting lost. In case of an emergency, they could also be located easily and sent help immediately – vulnerable users would therefore feel secure, even if they were far away.
Once they return home, the device would also automatically connect the mobility scooter to the user’s home telecare network to create an integrated mobility solution.
Dr. Amr Ahmed, one of the scientists leading the project, says, ”The digital era and the increasing number of online services mean that more support is available to help older people maintain a lifestyle that is as independent as possible.”
The project, named ”Integrating mobility vehicles and devices with smart homes”, is funded by the Transport innovation Network (iNet). According to iNet director John Frodsham, ”It’s exciting to think that by integrating some existing and new technologies, possibilities could open up in new applications which will also have a growing societal benefit.”
At the moment this technology is being developed for local authority care providers but, like all socially useful ideas, MobilityCompare hopes it will soon be developed privately and come onto the open market. As soon as we hear we’ll let you know. Watch this space!
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