How Safe are Scooters for Elderly People?
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| Category: Scooters for Elderly |
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Scooter Safety Tips for Eldery People.
With the growing popularity of mobility scooters used by elderly people, you may be concerned over the safety of these scooters. Like any motorized equipment, there are dangers to using these scooters. However, if you follow a few simple guidelines, they are safer than walking.
First, it is important to remember that mobility scooters for elderly people are intended for use by elderly or disabled people who can:
- Turn their head to the left and right to check for pedestrians and traffic.
- Grip hand controls and pull the brake lever as needed.
- Retain their balance when on rougher terrain.
- Steer around obstacles.
- Judge distances needed for braking and steering while driving forward and backing up.
- Shift their body weight as necessary for going around corners and up and down hills.
- Concentrate on both driving and the environment around them.
- React quickly in emergencies.
- Sit for long periods of time.
- Use patience while in public.
- Remember safety procedures.
- Are aware of their surroundings and where they live.
- Have good vision skills or wear corrective lenses that allow them to see all obstacles,traffic, and roadsigns.
Disregarding these simple rules can turn a safe scooter into a dangerous unit for elderly people. While no driver’s license is necessary, knowledge of driving is extremely important for proper safety. Become familiar with driving your scooter before going out on the road. Ask for the salesperson or mobility product company to provide you with free training.
Scooters come with either three or four wheels. When turning, you never want to turn too sharply or the danger of tipping can occur. Learning to shift your body in a turn can help with stability. Very few scooters tip over unless the driver has not followed safety procedures and steers too sharply and too quickly.
In 2006, mobility scooters came under fire after causing two deaths in Florida. In both cases, the scooters were not to blame. The elderly drivers pulled out into traffic without looking. This is another reason why safe driving skills are essential! It is suggested that all mobility scooters have a day-glo orange pole and flag attached to the rear of the scooter allowing for drivers to better see the scooters moving towards the road from in between parked cars. For a few dollars, this safety measure can drastically increase visibility. Increased visibility means safer scooters for elderly users.
There are additional safety tips that all manufacturers publish:
- Install reflectors and lights if the scooter will be used at night.
- Install rear view mirrors on both sides to ensure the scooter has proper clearance on each side and behind the scooter.
- Avoid busy roads and intersections.
- Never brake on an incline as that increases the scooter’s risk of tipping.
- Never go faster than ten miles per hour.
- Do not use your scooter if you have been drinking or taking medications that make you drowsy.
These simple rules are all it takes to ensure that scooters for elderly people and disabled people are safe. As in most cases, safety depends on the driver not the environment or vehicle.
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