Psychologists at Nottingham Trent University (NTU) have teamed up with Surewise, a leading mobility scooter insurance intermediary, to tackle the alarming increase in deaths and injuries among mobility scooter users on the UK’s roads.
This collaboration comes in the wake of alarming statistics revealing that mobility scooter riders are over two and a half times more likely to be killed in a road crash compared to other road users.
In April, Surewise launched its ‘Safer Mobility’ Campaign following a detailed analysis of road casualty data. The data revealed a troubling trend: over the last decade, casualties involving mobility scooter users have increased by an average of 20 per cent each year.
The campaign aims to inform mobility scooter users about the risks they face while traveling on or near roads and to raise awareness among all road users about the vulnerability of this group.
Earlier this year, NTU published the findings of the largest-ever study of over 250 motorised mobility scooter users. The study uncovered that around 62% of respondents had not received any form of training.
Of the 38% who had received training, most had only been instructed on vehicle handling, with very few learning about the specific hazards they might encounter. Alarmingly, only 8% had participated in training courses involving practical, on-road experiences or indoor simulations.
As this partnership between NTU and Surewise gains momentum, it is hoped that the increased awareness and targeted actions will lead to a significant reduction in road casualties among mobility scooter users, ensuring safer travel for this vulnerable group.
This week Dr Duncan Guest, Professor of Psychology, at Nottingham Trent University, a strong advocate for the Safer Mobility Campaign, along with Richard Hannan, Director of Surewise, facilitated a Road Safety GB webinar entitled ‘Mobility Scooter Users: The Forgotten Road Crash Victims.’ In the webinar, Duncan and Richard explored various aspects of mobility scooter safety, delving into the data, identifying the key issues, and discussing how road safety teams across the UK can take effective action.
