Getting your feet on a scooter can be tricky at first, but don’t be embarrassed if you don’t know how! However, when you practice a little, you’ll be able to easily navigate the city.
Check out these tips for driving a mobility scooter like a pro.
- Check that your scooter is in good working order before heading out to avoid emergencies. If there are any problems, contact your local dealer for advice.
- When driving, always wear proper shoes; flip-flops won’t offer much grip on the footplate! As well as choosing the right clothes, ensure you’re not wearing shorts and sandals on a hot day, as this will just cause you to slip.
- Make sure your hands are always visible – if the police see you with your hands in the air, they may think that you’re signaling that something is wrong and pull you over! However, making sure your hands are in view also helps to alert other road users of your presence.
- Ensure that you can see out correctly when driving; anything in your blind spot could be dangerous when changing lanes.
- Keep an eye on what’s behind you at all times. So that you know when there might be any drivers who are about to overtake you.
- Make sure that you always keep both hands on the wheel at all times.
How To Turn A Mobility Scooter
An easy way of making a sharp turn is by leaning your weight towards the direction you want to go. Although it might seem strange, it really works! Just imagine that you’re going to fall over, so you instinctively put your weight in the direction of your forthcoming fall.
- When turning a corner, try and ride as wide as possible – this will allow others to have more room when passing without having to veer into your lane.
- For tight turns, swing the handlebar towards the direction you want to turn, then steer into the corner.
- Avoid making sudden or sharp turns – this is a sure-fire way of falling off your scooter! Instead, try and gradually lean in the direction you want to go.
How To Stop A Mobility Scooter
When shopping, you shouldn’t rely on your brakes too much. Instead, try and use them in conjunction with the lean of your weight to slow down.
As you’re slowing down, pull back gently on the throttle so that you can slowly come to a stop.
How To Use The Throttle Of A Mobility Scooter
- When starting off on your scooter, you’ll need to give it some throttle.
- When you want to slow down, pull back gently on the throttle. Just be careful not to apply too much pressure so that the scooter does what you don’t want it to do!
Here are some illustrations to visualize it
|
KEY IN |
SPEED CONTROL |
|
FORWARD |
REVERSE |
Essential Tips On How To Drive A Mobility Scooter
- Ensure that you master the brake and the throttle before going out in public – this will help ensure your safety!
- Don’t try and show off by driving too fast. Remember, you are not a race car driver!
- Avoid sudden movements.
Adjusting Your Seats
Even though you will be sitting down, make sure that your seating position is as comfortable and ergonomic as possible.
This can ensure that your scooter doesn’t cause any unnecessary aches and pains to occur later on. If you ever get a sore back, it can be very inconvenient! Here’s how to adjust your seats correctly.
Check that your scooter has an adjustable tiller.
How To Assemble A Mobility Scooter
- If it doesn’t, make sure you know how to adjust the height of the handlebars before setting off! Some scooters come with a telescopic steering column which allows for easier displacement.
- If you can adjust the size of your seat, then make sure that it fits you perfectly. This way, your body weight will be distributed evenly across your chair so that you can control the scooter more efficiently.
- The best position for the handlebars would be at one elbow’s length – this allows people to operate the scooter safely and prevents unnecessary accidents.
I made a video on how to operate a mobility scooter
