4 Reasons Why Mobility Scooters Are Becoming More Popular In The UK

The rise of the mobility scooter in the UK has been a quiet one, but almost every street you walk down now will have at least one person riding in comfort on some form of motorised scooter. The reasons for this are varied and don’t boil down to a singular point, though some do offer a greater insight than others.

An ageing population

Put simply, we are all living longer, this means there are more of us and we are all more likely to reach an age where we need assistance with getting around. Reaching old age isn’t as much of a miracle as it was just 100 years ago, but the effects that time has on our bodies hasn’t yet been reversed by science, which means we need help later in life for our body to keep up with our minds.

Practical and fashionable

With the advance in design and technology mobility scooters have gotten better and better, meaning people are more likely to use a scooter for getting out and about and joining in with the day to day lives of their family. These machines used to be either a huge luxury or not very practical to use, but both of those factors have been worked on to make the modern mobility scooter more fashionable. You can even get accessories and have a scooter to take account of different needs such as oxygen tanks or weight appropriate scooters.

No regulations

Unlike a car or motorbike a mobility scooter requires no licence and no prior training to operate. It couldn’t be simpler to get up and running, and if you need extra power you can get scooters with a variety of top speeds (4mph, 6mph and 8mph). Due to its use on pavements and residential areas there is no law regulating their use as they are relatively harmless machines when operated by mature users – and while there are limits to what terrain you can drive on, in reality a mobility scooter is perfect for an outing in the country or in the city.

More access

Cityscapes are taking notice of the rise in scooter and wheelchair users, this means a more level plan, even in built up areas, and where stairs used to be a problem most buildings have a ramp as standard now for entrance and exit. Streets and stores are putting that little bit more thought into their plans and engaging with a population which more and more will rely on the ease of access on a mobility scooter or a wheelchair.

Of course there are more than just these four reasons for the growth in popularity or mobility scooters, but what seems certain is that their stock has the potential to rise further still. In Japan there is significant work being done to make self-driving scooters, going at low speeds but avoiding obstacles and adjusting for different terrain. So while the population numbers increase, so will the mobility scooter as the nation’s go-to form of transport when walking has become impossible or too painful.