electric wheelchairs
 

Do the drivers of electric wheelchairs get any driving instruction or test?
Sky News - Disabled Buggy Driver On Drink-Drive Charge
Sky News - Woman Crashes Mobility Scooter Through Train
These are just 2 recent incidents.

I have deformed toes and my foot was run over by a mobile wheelchair user in Argos!!! - that raises another question - do they have 3rd party insurance?

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You shouldnt laugh should you.

Im not laughing .......


.........honest ! :D

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I would never trust my Ma with one of those....for a kick off she doesn't know her right from her left!.......And anyway i can't see her cruising down Riley's hill in one of those things.

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Who remembers that advert a few years ago, the lady on the electric shopper who bumped into the stack of cans ? :D

Seriously its the ones who insist on driving their mobility scooters in the middle of the road at 4mph are the ones who are dangerous. We have a few of them around here. :mad:

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I am sure they would rather not be in a wheel chair... full stop:

No people in chairs do not have to take a test ( but hey I am sure the powers that be could bring one into place)

and maybe even put a little bit of tax on them....

and no you don't have to have insurance... again another way to make money by insisting that they do:

Its flipping hard work trying to get around the shops if you can't walk and need to use a chair... the shops don't make it easy with display stands all over the place:

Also it is much easier for people to move out of the way.... rather than the person in the chair go round you:

Maybe people that can walk .... should take a test and have insurance:..

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My friend had one, hes had a top speed off 8mph. He had to get insurance on his for public liability just incase he ran somebody over in his.
Have you felt the weight of the big ones, they weigh a ton and would easily break somebodys leg if they ran into you.

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I was standing still looking at the catalogue on the desk - she just reversed over me and didnt even say sorry!

It is much easier for people with disabilities to meet their shopping needs via the internet. I do most of the time. It is good that they do not need to be housebound but some concern should be given to who is and is not capable of using them SAFELY

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Not to mention that there are a lot of disabled people who still use their own two feet that cant get out of the way quick enough.

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They can obtain Insurance, and its not that dear really.

Its not about making money is about covering Third Party Injury or Damage.

People who walk, are insured if they have contents Insurance. (see a Household Contents Policy)

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The same can be said about people that use shopping trollies... and prams not to mention double buggies.... oh and walking sticks...

the shops could make life easy by not blocking the way too many shops to name, do this and its really hard work:

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That is SO true.

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Not really, all the above would cause no where near the amount of damage a electric wheel chair would.

Plus you dont see many people with trollies making you walk in the road as they think they have the right of way. and Prams they are controlled by a Third Party and are much more manouvarable. (SP)

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If I buy an electric car can I drive around on the footpath with no licence and no insurance then?

With your recent driving mishap I don't think you can laugh at anyone else.

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Its called humour Neil. And if you read the links, non was severly hurt. Also like to add that i have been the butt of many a joke about my accident and i take it on the chin as its meant to be.

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i think an open season should be created say between may @ september, when you could go hunting them with 12 bore shotguns.:D

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My Dad has 2 electric scooters ( I keep telling him about spending my inheritance but he takes no notice :mad: )

He uses the smaller one for mowing people down in supermarkets and saves the bigger one for when he is out in town :D:D

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Thats very naughty ...... :D

Have you noticed a lot of the users arnt actually disabled but just elderly. (prob those whose licences have been taken off them for poor eyesight).

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lol :D:D:D
What colour is his, then i know to dodge him.

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I think they are both blue with blood red tints on the front :rofl38:

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ROFLMAO ....

My friend had a big red one :D, it had a picture of a turtle on it to represent 4mph and a picture of a hare to switch upto 8mph. We got about 25mph out of it one day when he said sit on my knee and gave me a lift down Hawthorn Avenue. :D:D:D

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Keep it clean, this is a family site :rolleyes::D

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It depends on how you define disabled. Someone may be able to walk short distances but become unsteady on their feet or tire easily if they tried to go further. I see no reason why they shouldn't use something to help them get around.

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A buddy of mine lost the use of his legs in a motorcycle accident ... he fixed up an old Harley panhead and put a trike conversion kit on it. This is a serious motorized wheelchair. He rides like hell, but usually on the highway. He has loud pipes on it tho' ... people can hear him coming from miles away.

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Losing one's license for poor eyesight IS a disability.

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i know.....:D

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i was confronted by one of these looneys once!
told me i was on the wrong side, i should be on the left while walking:eek:.... i mean ...??LOL... WTF, i was on the pavement....silly owd ******!!
talk about pavement rage!!:p

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After reading this thread I despair. Such selfishness! You should be thoroughly ashamed of yourselves and thank whatever god you believe in that it is not you in such a vehicle.

I accept that there will be some cantankerous old gits but you get far more cantankerous drivers on the road and even cantankerous pedestrians who seem to think that they own the pavement. Pram pushers are a prime example.

Incidentally it is perfectly legal for an Electric Wheelchair user to travel on the road and it is up to other road users to watch where they are going. The same applies to pedestrians. We are all supposed to look where we are going and take steps to avoid obstacles.

However there should be some sort of scheme that ensures that a new Electric Wheelchair user is given basic tuition, much like a new motor cycle rider is. Most vendors will give basic instructions but only on how to operate the vehicle and not how to actually use it.

As for all those complaining about them. It could be you in years to come and if it is your view will change.

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Could not agree with you more Jam butty:

also we could mention the total idiots that block the drop curbs by parking on them... thus the wheel chair user needs to then go onto the road:

the pavements are in a bad state of repair in a lot of areas....

Thank God I have my legs and I can walk...

People in chairs have enough to cope with... not to mention the people that care for them:

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I have been out with my Dad on 2 occasions in Burnley Town Centre where the occupant of said car has actually been sat in it. Talk about cringe because he let them have it with both barrels, it's probably the thing that drives him up the wall most about his disability Strange that on both occasions too neither driver understood English yet had managed to pass a driving test :mad:

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Well done to your Dad.... :)

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All I say is they should be made to have minimum insurance, its not that dear. After all they could cause damage or injury to someone, and you get the added benefit of exra covers.

Insurance

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I agree with you ***Mr D***, drivers of these Electric Wheelchairs/Scooters should have a compulsory third party insurance and a disk displayed to say that a valid insurance is in force.

However where does that leave prams and buggies? A scooter will travel at 4mph and so can someone pushing a pram. Then again so can pedestrians. 4 mph is a brisk walking pace. We’ve all been bumped aside by someone in a hurry.

I won’t even mention push bikes.

Once my real car driving days are over I will certainly look to getting one but I will take out third party insurance to protect me against claims.

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I must agree with you there in what you say i my self have an electric weel chair but when i am going to the shop,s i see them in there buggie,s and they think they own the road but some of them are a death trap to them self,s thats what i think any way.

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I have seen quite enough of cantankerous old biddys in these mobile death traps to be convinced that they are a hazard to safe road usage. Cleveleys, in particular, as you might expect, is inundated with them. I have no problem with them using the pavement, that is what they are intended for, but when they are creeping along the carriage way holding up traffic it is a different matter altogether. They should be taxed and insured and the drivers should be required to undergo a test - like the rest of us road users. Rules are rules, and should apply to all, irrespective of age, disability or arrogance.

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I work with kids with various disabilities and a lot of them can't walk and are forced to use wheelchairs including electric ones depending on their physical and mental ability to control the chair so as not to become a danger to others. The school I take them to on the bus has a system where they test the individuals ability to control the chair and if they fail that test then they are not allowed to use the electric chair for school and are then only able to use a manual chair on the bus and in school. I have to say this without being patronising towards any of them, most of the electric wheelies are excellent drivers and considerate towards pedestrians including myself where incidentally I have had a few bruised shins but that has been my own fault due to my acting silly with them or not paying attention when loading the vehicle and had a foot run over on more than one occaision.

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which ever one you use, half the time you have to go on the road because THE IDIOTS park in front of the drop kirbs and many a time there is junk from shops ( that should be in the shop) place on the pavement:mad:

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here we go again , a miserable owd sod complaining about prams and buggies , one thing to realize , the babies and toddlers riding around in these things will one day be responsile for wiping your ass and mopping up the drool from your mouth , not to mention paying taxes to support your annual winter heating bonus and all the other freebies that you get (note, a 6/8d insurance stamp paid forty odd years ago does not compute even at the best interest rates to the 90 pound per week pensions of today,) , seems me them who complain about prams and buggies should be a tad more grateful .

:(:(:(

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was told this morning,me best mate has had to aquire the latter one, due to his walking impediment, will have to pop up this week to ask him what "Chapter" he has joined.;)

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:D That reminded me of a few years ago, an elderly friend of ours had one and my youngest saw it parked outside of somewhere one day and said "Dorothy is in there." I asked how she knew that and she replied. "That's her motorbike."

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You really should not attack the old folk on the forum like that :rolleyes:

It wont let me give you karma yet but you will be getting some green as soon as it will :D:D:D

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LOL , hopefully it will balance out the red karma someone who wishes to remain anonymous has allready sent :eek: