Are those old people buggies actually allowed on the road?

Duke

Duke

Duke

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I just entered a 30 zone after coming in from a NSL and saw someone on one of those electric buggies going out of the 30 and into the NSL road (that doesn't have a pavement on it). This isn't a nice open straight road either - it is bumpy/off camber, has blind corners and dips then leads up a hill to a busy crossroad at the top.

I thought about actually phoning the Police or something as he is going to cause issues for other drivers, but wasn't sure whether these are allowed on the road or not..?
 
A bit of searching found this... i didnt know they were allowed personally. They are annoying, dangerous and a menace.


Three types of ‘The Use of Invalid Carriages on Highways Regulations 1988’

Class 1- manual wheelchairs
These wheelchairs are not electrically powered. You use your arms to move the wheelchair forward, or you are pushed by another person.

Class 2- powered wheelchairs and scooters
These are only suitable for riding on pavements or footpaths, and have a top speed of 4 miles an hour (6 kilometres an hour).

Class 3- powered wheelchairs and other outdoor powered vehicles, including scooters
These are suitable for riding on roads, and have a top speed of 8 miles an hour (12 kilometres an hour) and must not weigh more than 150 kilograms without the driver and any load. These also have a switch to limit the top speed to 4 miles an hour (6 kilometres an hour) on pavements or footpaths.

A class 3 vehicle is not legally defined as a motor vehicle and the user does not have to have a driving licence or take a driving test.

However, a class 3 vehicle can only be used by a disabled person aged 14 or over, or by an able-bodied person who is demonstrating a vehicle before selling it, training a disabled user, or taking a vehicle to or from a place for maintenance or repair
 
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Hmm so just depends whether it was a 8mph one or not. Even going 20-30 on this road in something that small would be hazardous.
 
Duke said:
Hmm so just depends whether it was a 8mph one or not. Even going 20-30 on this road in something that small would be hazardous.
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If these things continue to proliferate at the current rate I expect some interesting court cases in the comming years. The speed they belt around footpaths and pedestrian zones is ridiculous and it seems some of the drivers show scant regard for other pedestrians!
 
a1ex2001 said:
If these things continue to proliferate at the current rate I expect some interesting court cases in the comming years. The speed they belt around footpaths and pedestrian zones is ridiculous and it seems some of the drivers show scant regard for other pedestrians!
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Indeed. Imagine what happens when they damage vehicles on the road - lack of insurance and all. ;)
 
Duke said:
I just entered a 30 zone after coming in from a NSL and saw someone on one of those electric buggies going out of the 30 and into the NSL road (that doesn't have a pavement on it). This isn't a nice open straight road either - it is bumpy/off camber, has blind corners and dips then leads up a hill to a busy crossroad at the top.

I thought about actually phoning the Police or something as he is going to cause issues for other drivers, but wasn't sure whether these are allowed on the road or not..?
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I fail to see how they could cause any more "issues for other drivers" than a cyclist... And no im not bashing cyclists there
 
I had a bloke on one just drive straight out at a set of traffic lights! I was pulling away (it was on green), he just drove straight in front and I had to brake hard. He had the audactity to just wave. They definately need to be registered so we can report them.
 
There are road legal ones that are a bit wider than a PC chair and about as tall as a person...there used to be an old guy around where my mum lives in the middle of the country side that had one. He kept toppling over into ditches and my 60 year old mum had to fish him and the buggy out once. :/

They are so slow and unexpected that they are not really safe for themselves or other road users...but then you could say the same about people walking or riding horses etc.

The old guy had one something like this...

Photo_Mobility_Scooter_Accessories.jpg



...but I'm sure it was more solid but with plastic sides like that one.
 
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This was in the news a while ago:


I dont think they should be allowed on roads with speed limits over 20mph, it's too dangerous for them and other drivers.
 
If you goto Skeggy in the summer, you cant move for these things, also at the shops that sell them, they all look the same apart from the colour, also I only ever see fatties in them at supermarkets, esp Morrisons which seem to have a whole fleet of them.
 
Oh god, are the supermarket fatty buggies turning up in the UK now? That's one bit of American culture we really don't want.

Worst part is that, in the case of the store provided ones, they're supposed to be for disabled people, but the disabled people often find there's none left because all the fat ******** have taken them.
 
Duke said:
Cyclists would be going quicker than 8mph and are half the width of one of these.
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Yeah but you have to give cyclists/horses/those mobility things/scooters/etc the same space as any other vehicle (i.e drive into the oncoming lane) to pass them. Also the spee depends if their going full whack, not all Cyclists are the enthusiast type some are just out for a leisurely ride or actually going somewhere so wont be as fast.
 
I think this old BBC story is relevant to this thread:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/10303689

BBC News said:
Mobility scooter rider gets 'boy racer asbo'

An elderly man caused four miles of traffic jams as he drove his mobility scooter at 8mph along the A12 in Essex.

Essex Police were called to the southbound carriageway, which has no hard shoulder, near Chelmsford, on Thursday, after calls from drivers.

Police escorted the man from Chelmsford off the A12.

Police issued him with a Section 59 warning which is normally restricted to using a vehicle in an anti-social manner.

An Essex Police spokesman said: "Police received numerous calls from drivers concerned for the welfare of the scooter rider."

He said officers formed "a rolling roadblock around the scooter to hold back traffic until the man could be escorted off at the Danbury turn-off".

Sgt Jason Dearsley said: "Instead of tying up the court's precious time we decided that the best way to deal with this matter was to use powers given to us normally for dealing with boy racers.

"We see it as an Anti-Social Behaviour Order (Asbo) for road users."
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When I worked in a retail store a few years ago we had a bloke come in on one of these. It was only a small store but he insisted on actually driving it into the shop. There wasn't room and as a result there wasn't anything he didn't crash into!

I ended up having to steer it for him as he couldn't get the jist of which way to turn the handle bars when reversing!

Suprised they don't have to take a test to drive these on the road but having said that you don't need one to ride a bicycle either, which is just as annoying and possibly as/more dangerous.
 
Oh sweeet! This thread reminded me...

I was going over London bridge on Weds night on the motorbike...now the south side of London Bridge is a bit mad as you have three lanes, one left, middle left and straight on and left into the station and right straight on.

Behind a double decker bus was a small mobility vehicle with a ammo box affair on the back...either side of him and behind were trucks, bike and taxi's!
I was staring like WTF!!! at him, then he pulled away and pulled a kind of wheelie! I was lolling my helmet off all through Borugh market and onto the A3 proper. Mentalness!
 
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