Slam the brakes on scooter hoons
I’D like a dollar for every time I’ve seen someone riding a mobility scooter on a busy road, travelling too fast along a packed footpath or straight out into traffic without so much as a sideways glance.
Let’s face it, we’ve all seen it or experienced it, almost getting mowed down by someone riding their mobility scooter at mindboggling speed or trying some other crazy stunt.
Take the woman overseas who, in a moment of abject idiocy, attempted to take her mobility scooter up an escalator.
Needless to say, it didn’t end well.
It’s time something was done to monitor the use of mobility scooters, not just for the protection of those riding them but also pedestrians and motorists who regularly have the bejesus frightened out of them by the things charging out of nowhere like bats in the night.
If you think I’m being a bit harsh, just take a look at the recent data released by Monash University.
Statistics show as many as “three senior Victorians are hospitalised each week due to either crashing or being hit by a mobility scooter”.
More than 1000 over-50s in the state have been rushed to hospital emergency departments for scooter-related injuries in the past decade, and in more than 50 per cent of cases the injuries sustained were so severe that patients required hospital stays.
Even more alarming is the fact that 129 mobility scooter riders have lost their lives in Australia since 2000.
So while we all worry about the mounting road toll, it seems it’s all OK for the elderly and infirm to regularly put at risk their own lives, and the lives of others.
Sure the things are a godsend for those unable to drive a car or get around under their own steam. But while most riders are sensible, there are unfortunately plenty of others who are not.
Unlike cyclists, mobility scooter riders are not required to wear helmets, despite statistics showing 40 per cent of associated deaths are due to head injuries.
“Statistics show as many as three senior Victorians are hospitalised each week due to either crashing or being hit by a mobility scooter.”
Nor are they required to undergo regular medical/mental health check-ups to assess their ability to be in charge of a mobility scooter.
And it’s fair to say that while the rider may have been perfectly capable of riding the thing when they first purchased it, their ability to ride it may have deteriorated dramatically 12 months on.
Poor eyesight, hearing, failing reflexes and the early stages of dementia — together with the effects of medication — can quickly turn that godsend into a lifethreatening liability.
And how often do you see one parked outside a pub?
Add that to the mix and see where you end up.
What about relatives who worry themselves sick because their loved one is past using their scooter but refuses point blank to give it up? And what if you do happen to be struck by one?
Don’t expect the TAC to come racing to your rescue, because that sure isn’t going to happen.
And do you seriously want to be the person who sues someone on a mobility scooter to try and recoup your medical bills? Good luck with that! Of course we all need to keep an eye out for people using scooters, but there must also be some responsibility on the part of the rider to use common sense and be equally as considerate of those around them.
So how can we improve the situation?
Well, mobility scooter users won’t like it one little bit, but I reckon it’s time to introduce regular compulsory medical/mental health checks to ensure they are capable of using their scooters safely.
We should also introduce the compulsory wearing of helmets to help prevent head injuries.
Ban all mobility scooters from being used on roads, except when crossing at traffic lights or other designated pedestrian crossings.
And for heaven’s sake, restrict the speed on machines to normal walking pace.
The reality is medical science is helping us all live longer, and while no one relishes the thought of losing their independence it’s certainly a whole lot better than losing your life.
And what a tragedy it would be to survive some debilitating illness only to lose your life to a machine designed specifically to improve its quality.