Campaigners are calling for the urgent addition of mobility scooter users to the Highway Code alongside other vulnerable road users, following alarming new data showing that fatalities among mobility scooter users in 2023 nearly doubled compared to the previous year.

DfT road casualty data has revealed that 16 mobility scooter users were killed and 80 were reported seriously injured in collisions in 2023, up from nine fatalities and 64 serious injuries in 2022. Mobility scooter users were among the few road user groups to experience a notable rise in casualties in 2023, while most other groups saw either a decrease or no change at all.

Research by mobility scooter insurance intermediary, Surewise, has also highlighted the following:

• Mobility scooter users are nearly three times more likely to be killed in a road collision than any other road user group.
• Over the past decade, casualties involving mobility scooters have increased by an average of 20% annually.
• In 2023, 74% of mobility scooter crashes involved one other vehicle. Eg: a mobility scooter and a car.
• In 2023, in 79% of injury collisions, the mobility scooter user themselves was the victim.
• In 2023, 64% of mobility scooter user casualties were over the age of 55.
• In 2023, 80% of mobility scooter casualties occurred in urban areas.

In January 2022, the Highway Code was updated to introduce a “Hierarchy of Road Users,” which assigns greater responsibility to those who can cause the most harm, such as heavy goods vehicles, while prioritising the safety of pedestrians. Despite their vulnerability, mobility scooter users remain absent from the hierarchy, leaving a critical gap in protections for these users.

In response to the rising number of mobility scooter casualties, Surewise, which has insured over 130,000 mobility scooters, launched its ‘Safer Mobility’ campaign earlier this year. The campaign has been supported by numerous UK police forces, local authorities and Nottingham Trent University.

Richard Hannan, Director of Surewise, said: “Mobility scooter users are among the most vulnerable people on our roads, yet their unique needs are often overlooked. The fact that their exclusion from the Highway Code persists while fatalities rise is simply unacceptable. Their safety and prioritisation must be reflected in road safety policies.”

Campaigners are also frustrated by the outdated terminology used in legislation to describe mobility scooters. The law continues to refer to them as “invalid carriages,” a term widely regarded as inaccurate and out-of-date.

Mr Hannan added: “This archaic term not only fails to reflect the reality of modern mobility aids but also perpetuates confusion and misunderstanding about their proper use and rights on pavements and roads. Such language undermines efforts to raise awareness and improve safety for mobility scooter users.