Let’s face it; most people you meet when you are out on your scooter are fantastic and helpful. I was really pleased about this. I was nervous when I first used my scooter. I think most people are. I used to be a car driver and to be honest I didn’t have much time for scooter users. Having said that I didn’t have much time for anyone who drove slower than me. I’m a much nicer person now.

Back to using my scooter… In the main, pedestrians move out of your way. Kids are polite and go out of THEIR way to not get in YOUR way. People you talk to are interested in you – and with the scooter I am sitting down so am able to stop and talk for as long as I want. Most of the time trips on my scooter are like this. I have my freedom and independence and I love it.

However there can be a darker side.

Now and again someone isn’t so helpful. Now and again someone isn’t looking where they are going. Now and again a driver will get really frustrated with the fact that you go SLOW on a mobility scooter and the fastest I can go is 8 miles per hour!

This doesn’t happen often. I don’t want you to think that this is what life is like when you start to use a scooter. I think the way I deal with it is a really good way.

• If I can – I ignore it!
• If something is my fault – I immediately apologise.
• I never raise my voice or get angry.

This has several advantages:

• If you don’t get upset by someone else’s behaviour, then it is better for YOUR health. You just shrug it off and get on with your day.
• The situation just ends, and doesn’t escalate into a shouting match.

Now and again an accident will happen.

My advice is:

• Keep calm
• Keep cool
• Assess the situation.

With users of mobility products being less mobile, it makes perfect sense to have good websites that sell these products online. You don’t need to traipse around the shops looking for what you need. You can browse at your leisure and in the comfort of your own home. You can even view brochures of each model without the need to carry them around.

There are many advantages to buying a mobility scooter online, here are some guidelines and tips:

Product description

Check that all the details that you need to know are there. Here at Scooters UK we provide every ounce of information we have about each scooter online,  details are  important so we make sure we display all the details we have in an accessibble format to meet the needs of disabled and elderly people.

Scooter details include:

• colour
• size
• weight
• manufacturer

Photos

Photos of the product are invaluable when shopping online. They help you decide that the product is right for you and exactly what you are looking for. Sometimes a website will show more than one image of a product which is even more useful

Videos

Always look at a video of the product if one is available. These can show a product being used, and really show you the size of a product or how easy they are to use.

VAT

Disabled people don’t pay VAT when they purchase a mobility scooter. Not all mobility equipment and aids are exempt from VAT though. The website clearly states whether a product has to include VAT or you can qualify to not pay the VAT on the item.

What is the cost of post and packing?

We do not charge post and packing or delivery charges for Mobility scooters.  Delivery is free to anywhere in the United Kingdom. We also offer order tracking so you can monitor the delivery status and ensure you are at home when the new mobility scooter is being delivered.

Security

When making you purchase, you can make sure that the website you are using is safe and secure. Look at the bar at the top, where is has http://www. then the name of the website. On the page where you enter your bank card details, thischanges from http://www. to https://www. The ‘S’ stands for secure. You can also look at the bottom right of the screen, and a little padlock will appear. This also can indicate that the page is secure.

Returning goods

There are special rules for returning goods that you have bought online. These have been designed as unlike in a shop, you buy a product online without actually seeing it in person.

You can always return a product that you have bought online, and be refunded for the cost of the item. However, if the product has been customized or personalised in any way it is then exempt from being able to return it – unless it is faulty or damaged when you receive it.

Remember to always check items carefully when you receive them. For example damaged packing could indicate the parcel has been damaged.

We are happy to help you make your purchase and if you feel happy dealing ith somebody over the phone then please call us for an informal chat and we will do all we can to help you.

Folding mobility scooters are great when you need to store them or put them into the car for transporting. When the scooter is fully folded you need it to go in the boot easily and if the heaviest part is too heavy to lift there are scooter lifts to do the job for you.

There are some important things to remember though when using a folding scooter.

Here are some of them:

• Remember: Anything you loosen to fold the scooter remember to tighten before using it. Always make sure the tiller is locked properly and secure. The tiller is your steering column and it is crucial that is both locked and secure.
• Ensure that if there is something either side of the scooter – for example, the arms – to always adjust them equally. You don’t want to find they are lopsided once you are using the scooter. This could be dangerous foir you, or damage the vehicle.
• Speaking of arms. These are generally designed for comfort, not helping you transfer into and out of the scooter. They often cannot take much weight, but always make sure the arm latches are locked after the scooter has been folded back up, before any weight is put on the arms.
• Before you use the scooter for real, practice folding it down to store it or putting it in the boot. You can take your time to make sure you know exactly how to fold down your scooter and will find the best and easiest way for you.
• Also it is important to identify any ‘pinch points’ your scooter may have. These are places that can easily trap your skin or clothes if you are not aware of them or do not handle your scooter correctly.
• Before you buy your scooter, make sure you (or your assistant) can lift the heaviest part of your scooter.
• Check the area where you are going to store your scooter. Is is suitable and big enough to easily place the scooter? Some compact scooters fold up very small and can be stored inside – even in a cupboard. Some foldable scooters can even be stored vertically – standing on their rear bumpers.

Ok, so you don’t buy a mobility scooter because they look great. You buy one because they enable you to get out of the house more. That is worth more than anything.

I used to use my wheelchair most of the time. This had one problem, the local shops were just that bit too far away. I would go there in my wheelchair, but by the time I got back I was exhausted. This happened once too often. So after much soul searching, I bit the bullet and got a mobility scooter.

After that – life changed. I still use my wheelchair, but not in the same way. Now when I want to go to the shops, I zoom there (well trundle) in my scooter. When I get home I am not exhausted, I am ready for my next challenge; not my bed.

I am stubborn; I don’t like to ask for help. I don’t want to ask my wife to go to the shops for a newspaper or more milk. I want to go myself; without it taking every last ounce of my strength to do so.

My cousin only lives 1 mile away. That doesn’t sound far, but it is like 20 miles away to me in my wheelchair. This time last year I hardly ever saw him. Now, with my scooter, I can go and see him whenever I want. I don’t have to wait (and wait!) for him to come and see me.

I used to think mobility scooters were for elderly people. To be honest, I thought they were a bit naff. Since getting one, I don’t care what they look like. The most important thing is that my scooter gets my independence back, it gets me mobile. It gets me out doing the things I used to do. I can visit friends, go to the shops. I no longer sit at home waiting for help, doing things for myself is no longer just too difficult.

The House of Commons Transport Committee is looking for more data on the use of scooters to be collected. Following a spate of recent accidents from uninsured users. It is estimated that there are a quater of a million  people using mobility scooters in the UK.

Tim Muffett on the BBC news reported that “Mobility scooters are a Godsend for some and a potential menace for others. Mobilty scooters can create freedom and independence as well as cause accidents.Now the controls on a scooter are fairly steaighforward to use, but some scooters can travel at up to 8mph on the roads and pavements, and to use one you don’t need any training you don’t need any tests and you don’t need to be insured. ”

Disablity Essex is a charity that runs training courses to improve scooter skills. Richard Boyd Chief Exec of Disability Essex “It’s a free for all, anybody can sell them, anybody can buy them, anybody can drive them, nobody checks that they are insured.”

Most mobilty scooter users don’t have accidents, but if they do they can be serious, even fatal. Suprisingly, perhaps there is no official data to the number of mobility scooter accidents or even the number of scooteers in use. This charity believes around 200000 have now been ridden in the UK. Todays report by the House of Commons Transport Committee, urges clarification on this. It also says that the Dept of Transport should spell out who is fit enough to drive a scooter in the first place.

Stuart Kirk, Chief Tutor of Disability Essex. ” A lot of people think there is only 1 speed control, and therefore put it on maximum, even when they are in the middle of a store -and cause total mayhem. Even when they are going backwards!”

The prospect of local schemes like this being rolled out on a national basis should also be considered according to the Transport Committee. For whatever reason some seem to find it hard to take mobility scooters seriously. However  the Transport Committee report says that this needs to change.

This is a transcript of Tim Muffets report for the BBC.

Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is the most common disabling neurological condition affecting younger people. Usually a person is diagnosed between the ages of 20 to 40. Therefore most people are diagnosed around the age of 30. It is estimated that there are 100 thousand people in the UK  that have been diagnosed with MS. It usually affects more women than men. Typically two women for every one man.

The most common type of MS is called relapsing remitting (RRMS) in which the disease will cause a flare up of symptoms during relapse and these can fade during remission.  Another person may be diagnosed with primary progressive MS and the symptoms remain and do not disappear.

The disability is caused by the attack on the central nervous system (CNS). MS attacks the myelin sheath which is the coating of the nerves. During an attack a person with MS can be faced with a wide range of symptoms ranging from blurred vision, difficult walking, slurred speech, incontinence.

Most people with MS do not want to think about disability for as long as they can (For a very good reason!!!) however it is best to be prepared should the person with MS need mobility aids, mobility equipment or a mobility scooter. For example an early symptom of MS maybe pins and needles or a burning senstation in the feet, whilst this  may not sound too bad a symptom for an able bodied person, but have your tried walking when you cannot feel your feet and all you can feel is a constant tingling or thobbing sensation?

This is when the person needs help and if they need to walk a fair distance a mobility scooter is the ideal way of getting around without causing pain or discomfort let alone the risk of falling over. Most people cannot imagine using a mobility scooter in their thirties however there are a wide range of good looking scooters available on the market today to suit most peoples needs.

So my advice would be don’t struggle and enjoy the freedom and safety that a mobilitty scooter can bring.

A new idea by police in Newport, Gwent is to install high pitch personal attack alarms to disabled and elderley persons mobility scooters, walking frames and walking sticks. The idea was  first raised by PC Dave Castree after speaking to local residents.

The fear of feeling vunerable or being attcked when out and about on a scooter sparked the idea to fit personal alarms that are easy to use by the click of a button to activate the alarm and deter any potential attacker.

The confidence and independence of disabled or elderly people is very important and this simple measure is providing confidence to users of mobility scooters when they go out.