Mobility scooter drivers are more than twice as likely to be killed in a road crash than other road users, data has revealed.
Road casualty data shows that in 2022 alone, nine mobility scooter users were killed and 270 were injured in collisions on UK roads. Alarmingly, the figures show that over the last decade, mobility scooter casualties have increased by an average of 20% year-on-year. The data has been highlighted by Surewise, a leading mobility scooter insurance provider, as a warning to mobility scooter drivers and to other road users.
Surewise, which has insured more than 130,000 mobility scooters in the UK, is so concerned about the safety of mobility scooter users that it has launched a ‘Safer Mobility’ campaign that aims to educate all road users about the risks facing mobility scooter users, who are particularly vulnerable if they are involved in a crash.
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Director at Surewise, Richard Hannan, said: “We were horrified to discover that mobility scooter drivers are more than twice as likely to be killed in a road crash than other road users. And, sadly, the problem only seems to be getting worse. Worryingly, the casualty data shows a substantial increase in casualties since 2011. Our claims team takes regular calls from distressed customers who have been injured in collisions.
Mobility scooter users are very vulnerable, particularly when travelling on the roads, and, unlike cars and other vehicles, the driver has little protection in the event of a crash.”
As part of the Safer Mobility Campaign, Surewise has produced a free mobility scooter safety guide and is giving away a free sticker pack bundle to make mobility scooters more visible. The free guide and sticker pack can be requested via: www.surewise.com/safer-mobility
