Mobility scooters need more regulation to combat record levels of deaths, judge says

A coroner has warned that the authorities should see measures to combat a grounds fig of deaths involving mobility scooters.

Figures from the Department for Transport amusement that a staggering 16 radical were killed successful collisions involving mobility scooters past year, with 90 radical being near with superior injuries arsenic a effect of accidents.

Minor injuries were besides sustained by 222 radical successful the aforesaid clip period.

The informing comes from Samantha Marsh, the elder coroner for Somerset, who made the remarks successful the inquest of Natalie Young who died 5 weeks aft being deed by a scooter successful Morrisons successful 2022.

Ms March called connected the Transport Secretary to see introducing measures akin to those required to thrust a car, informing that a implicit deficiency of regularisation could pb to a continued emergence successful deaths.

She said: “Mobility scooters tin scope a accelerated capable velocity to airs a significant hazard to the full community and colonisation but specifically, tiny children, large mothers and the aged who are each peculiarly susceptible to being impacted astatine velocity by a blunt-force entity and dying arsenic a effect of the injuries they sustain.

“I americium acrophobic that the deficiency of regularisation astir mobility scooters volition proceed to effect successful further deaths, particularly erstwhile determination continues to beryllium nary regularisation astir those who are deemed acceptable to run and usage them.”

In total, determination were 328 injuries from mobility scooter accidents successful 2023, much than treble than a decennary earlier wherever lone 156 were recorded starring to 5 deaths.

London had the highest fig of collisions with 104 successful the past 5 years, with the West Midlands and Nottingham the 2nd and 3rd astir unsafe with 76 and 75 deaths respectively.

Another fatal collision progressive Mark Jackson, a treble amputee whose scooter was progressive successful a collision with a car earlier this year.

The 61-year-old collided with a reddish Ford fusion successful Grantham and died the adjacent day.

There are believed to beryllium implicit 300,000 mobility scooter users successful the UK, with nary licence oregon acquisition being required to run one.

Motor conveyance drivers implicit 70 nevertheless indispensable renew their driving licences each 3 years, implicit a aesculapian declaration signifier and walk an oculus test.

A Department for Transport spokesperson said: “To guarantee mobility scooter users stay safe, we person provided backing for a grooming strategy to amended users.”