Police launch mobility scooter safety event

Police launch mobility scooter safety even

Greater Manchester Police is hosting a mobility scooter awareness session following an increase in fatalities.

The event, which takes place at Clayton Brook on 4 December, is open to anybody who already rides a scooter or is considering getting one.

Officers will be on hand throughout the day offering road safety advice and people will be able to complete some practical exercises, giving them the chance to try a scooter out without the fear of real-life traffic and pedestrians.

Over the last five years there have been 15 reported incidents involving mobility scooters. Eight of these resulted in slight injuries, two serious and five fatalities involving mobility scooters. Four of these fatalities occurred in the last two years.

This is the first time Greater Manchester Police has run an event of this kind and if successful, future events could take place.

Inspector Susan Redfern from the Roads Policing Unit in Chadderton said: “Mobility scooters offer users a sense of freedom and while we do not want to discourage people from using them, we do want to ensure that they are used safely.

“We are finding that many mobility scooter users haven’t driven in years, if at all, and their knowledge of the Highway Code is therefore limited.

“By taking a bit of time to familiarise themselves with the rules of the road, users will have more confidence to enjoy the outside world and we can hopefully reduce the number of collisions.”

Peter Molyneux, Head of Highways for Transport for Greater Manchester said: “As with all forms of transport there is a level of risk. To help reduce the risk, this event is a great opportunity for people to become more confident when out and about and enjoy a much better quality of life than they would otherwise be able to.”

The event takes place at GMP’s Claytonbrook Complex, Claytonbrook Road, Openshaw, Manchester, M11 1PP on Friday 4 December.

There are two sessions at 10am and 2pm, although please feel free to drop in at any time. Refreshments are available throughout the day.