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Invalid Vehicles: Insurance

Volume 496: debated on Wednesday 9 September 2009

To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport if he will bring forward legislation to require users of mobility scooters to hold mobility scooter insurance; what training users of mobility scooters are required to undergo; what recent estimate he has made of the number of persons injured by mobility scooters annually; and if he will make a statement. (290641)

We currently have no plans to introduce legislation requiring users of mobility scooters to hold insurance. They are nevertheless subject to the law of civil liability. We do strongly recommend that mobility scooter users take out insurance and that they avail themselves of the advice and training that is available in a number of locations such as Shopmobility venues (a charity organisation which hires out mobility scooters). No recent estimate of the number of injuries caused by mobility scooters has been undertaken but anecdotal evidence suggests that the majority of accidents are minor in nature.

We are aware that the number of mobility scooters is on the increase. The Department for Transport is procuring a survey to help assess the number of mobility scooter users and the extent to which their use may have injured people. We anticipate that this will help to inform future policy.