Scooters are ideal for keeping people independent. If you don’t have access to a car and don’t live too far from local amenities and the like, a scooter might be for you.

About you

There are hundreds of mobility scooters to choose from. This means that you can be pretty specific regarding finding one that meets your requirements. Start with yourself: ideally you’ll have decent balance when seated and the ability to transfer on and off as well as appropriate steering skills and eyesight etc.

Think also about your body shape and weight. Consider any needs connected with seating that you might have such as back support. (Larger scooters are sometimes designed for bariatric use.)

Transportation

Smaller scooters are not designed for long journeys so you may want to transport your scooter and then use it. If you are thinking of taking the bus or a train the best advice is to check that the vehicles on your route can accommodate the scooter you have in mind – as well as boarding and alighting procedures.

Smaller scooters are sometimes known as ‘boot scooters’ and are for use on pavements or in shopping malls etc. These can either be folded or dismantled for transportation in cars. Be aware though that folding scooters are likely to be fairly heavy – and that even in a dismantled state some of the pieces are still quite bulky. (Hoists can be fitted to your vehicle to lift your scooter in and out.)

Where do you want to drive?

Scooters designed to travel on pavements and in shopping areas are called Class 2 scooters. They are the smallest, lightest and cheapest models and usually move at around 4mph – the current legal speed limit for pavement use – although some have higher capability.

Road

Mobility scooters for the road are Class 3 vehicles. You can drive them on any roads except motorways or dual carriageways that have a speed limit of 50mph or above. As you would expect, they are larger and more powerful with bigger batteries – and therefore a longer running range (up to around 25 miles).

Because they are for use on roads they are required to be ‘roadworthy’. This means that they must have front and rear lights, indicators, hazard lights, a rear-view mirror, brakes and a horn. Being bigger, the seating tends to be more comfortable.

Selection

You need to make sure that the scooter is right for you. Ideally you would try several to get a feel for which one suits you. Looking through different models such as presented by the Pro Rider range can give you a good idea of your choices.

The Pro Rider range incorporates models from ‘boot scooter’ up to ‘road scooter’. This will take in a broad range of users and their needs, from scooters appropriate for short journeys through to those with bariatric suitable features. The smaller models disassemble for storage or transportation in the car; the larger models have more sophisticated seating and suspension arrangements – and suit a variety of budgets.

Portable/Boot scooters (Class 2)
Easyfold Deluxe £599
Superlite £499
Eydon £749

Pavement/Mid-size scooter (Class 2)
Evolve 4 £999

Road scooters (Class 3)
Road King Plus £1,499
Road King Deluxe £1,999
From: www.proridermobility.com

The Pro Rider range recently won five stars in our product review.