Safety is naturally a key concern in the mobility scooter market. This is largely because users of powerchairs are typically vulnerable people, who are either elderly or disabled, or who suffer from health conditions. This article outlines the many features to consider in electric mobility scooters today – which themselves represent a marked step up from those found in traditional wheelchairs – that will ensure you can enjoy the highest level of safety when out and about in your daily life.
Things to Consider the Safety Features of Mobility Scooters:
1. Wide range of electric mobility scooter availability
One of the key safety features within the modern electric mobility scooter industry is the sheer choice of models from which users can select, at all price points. This means that individuals can ensure that the powerchair they acquire is fit for the purpose they have (Indoors vs outdoors), that it is suitable for their profile (Urban environment vs rural environment), their driving ability (Driver-assisted functionality), their level of confidence (Pavement vs road), their size and weight, and their overall mobility needs (short journeys vs long journeys).
In the past, users were often restricted to a narrow choice – typically wheelchairs – that were purchased based largely on price alone. This frequently meant users had to rely on ill-suited vehicles, which then reduced the level of safety involved.
2. Ease of use
Electric mobility scooters are designed to be easy to use to ensure the highest safety levels possible. Both acceleration and braking are usually controlled by a single lever, which, if released, brings the vehicle to an immediate stop. This action also locks the scooter in position as if a handbrake had been applied, which helps to avoid any accidental collisions.
Many models also offer LCD displays that give real-time updates to users on speed and remaining battery charge to avoid running out of power away from home.
3. Larger Class 3 scooters
The larger, faster and more powerful powerchairs clearly offer enhanced safety features over their smaller and more lightweight cousins. This is because they are intended mainly for road use. These features include front and rear lights for having adequate visibility and alerting others to your presence, a headrest and armrests for comfort and protection, indicators and hazard lights to show other vehicles your intended movements, a horn to avert any oncoming danger, a rearview mirror to help with awareness and reversing and, of course, brakes to ensure that the scooter can be brought to a stop in quick time.
4. Additional safety features
Many manufacturers also offer optional additional features such as a reverse warning siren to alert others to your movement, puncture-proof tyres to reduce the risk of getting a flat tyre on the road, high visibility reflectors to help others see you in less favourable conditions, improved suspension to mitigate against vehicle breakdown and an easy carry battery bag for storing a replacement battery.
Safety levels can, of course, be enhanced further by requesting a vehicle demonstration from your electric mobility scooter dealer prior to purchase and by referring to the manufacturer’s manual before use.
