0:00:02 > 0:00:05The UK has more mobility scooters than any other country in Europe.
0:00:05 > 0:00:07Oh, she's a nice one, Dave.
0:00:07 > 0:00:11People who struggle to walk have been freed from the front room
0:00:11 > 0:00:14and given licence to crisscross the highways and byways
0:00:14 > 0:00:16at their leisure.
0:00:16 > 0:00:17Morning! Morning!
0:00:18 > 0:00:20'It is my lifeline.'
0:00:20 > 0:00:23I literally go everywhere in it.
0:00:23 > 0:00:24SHE IMITATES MOTORBIKE ENGINE
0:00:24 > 0:00:29The scooter bandwagon has quadrupled in just five years.
0:00:29 > 0:00:31Wow! Is that sat nav?
0:00:31 > 0:00:32Sat nav? It's a colour TV.
0:00:34 > 0:00:37Now everyone wants to get on board.
0:00:37 > 0:00:38I've just noticed the white stick.
0:00:38 > 0:00:42Gordon! You're going down the wrong way down the street, look.
0:00:42 > 0:00:44- I'm sorry about that. - That's all right.
0:00:44 > 0:00:48But a backlash is brewing against these supposedly sedate machines.
0:00:48 > 0:00:50Move that scooter out o' way!
0:00:50 > 0:00:52Shut up, moaning pillock.
0:00:52 > 0:00:54My son got hit by one.
0:00:54 > 0:00:56You were on the road, that was your fault.
0:00:56 > 0:01:00Well, it wasn't. My son was actually on the pavement.
0:01:00 > 0:01:03Dodgy driving and accidents are on the rise...
0:01:03 > 0:01:04Oh! Oh!
0:01:04 > 0:01:07..and with no compulsory training or even basic traffic laws
0:01:07 > 0:01:09to keep them in check...
0:01:09 > 0:01:12So the front of the scooter is completely smashed up?
0:01:12 > 0:01:14- ON PHONE:- 'I just feel so guilty.'
0:01:14 > 0:01:18..is the mobility scooter revolution veering out of control?
0:01:30 > 0:01:33I call these God's waiting rooms.
0:01:35 > 0:01:37You're just waiting, aren't you?
0:01:37 > 0:01:39I shouldn't laugh.
0:01:39 > 0:01:41Oh, we have life again.
0:01:41 > 0:01:43SHE LAUGHS
0:01:43 > 0:01:4758-year-old Hazel was diagnosed with chronic lung disease
0:01:47 > 0:01:49eight years ago.
0:01:49 > 0:01:52She now struggles to walk more than a few yards.
0:01:55 > 0:01:57So, this is my scooter.
0:01:57 > 0:02:00- INTERVIEWER:- Do I need to be worried?
0:02:00 > 0:02:01Yes, I'd be very worried!
0:02:03 > 0:02:05Morning, ladies!
0:02:05 > 0:02:06Morning, Nora!
0:02:07 > 0:02:08Yeah, see you.
0:02:09 > 0:02:13Having a set of wheels has given her the freedom to get out and about
0:02:13 > 0:02:17and spend money on her four grandkids, with a fifth on the way.
0:02:18 > 0:02:20I want something pretty frilly.
0:02:22 > 0:02:25Yeah. We've got to have a cardigan, haven't we?
0:02:25 > 0:02:27'It's my lifeline.'
0:02:27 > 0:02:30I literally go everywhere in it.
0:02:30 > 0:02:33'Nearly every day I go out on that scooter.
0:02:33 > 0:02:37'It's just, you know, an absolute lifesaver, for me.'
0:02:37 > 0:02:41Ten minutes' shopping - didn't take me long to spend £40, did it?
0:02:44 > 0:02:46Hazel's been on the road for five years,
0:02:46 > 0:02:49but she's never had any scooter training,
0:02:49 > 0:02:51so she's still honing her skills.
0:02:51 > 0:02:54BUMPING AND SCRAPING
0:02:54 > 0:02:56I hit a man the other week.
0:02:57 > 0:02:59But it wasn't my fault.
0:02:59 > 0:03:01I hit him in bum and he fell forward.
0:03:03 > 0:03:07I just said, "I'm ever so sorry, sweetheart, are you all right?"
0:03:07 > 0:03:08He were all right about it.
0:03:11 > 0:03:13It's a very tight fit.
0:03:16 > 0:03:19When I then put it in there for night,
0:03:19 > 0:03:22I nearly end up in next door's garden.
0:03:24 > 0:03:26THUMP Told you, I've just hit wall!
0:03:28 > 0:03:31MUSIC: "Hungarian Dance No 5" by Johannes Brahms
0:03:31 > 0:03:36Hazel is just one of the 330,000 scooter riders across the UK.
0:03:37 > 0:03:39Their numbers are continuing to grow,
0:03:39 > 0:03:41but not everyone is happy to see them.
0:03:44 > 0:03:48They get in your way and they buzz around
0:03:48 > 0:03:51and you're just walking along and suddenly, "Zzz!"
0:03:51 > 0:03:52they're in front of you.
0:03:52 > 0:03:54We hear the noise, you know, the "beep, beep!",
0:03:54 > 0:03:57and you know they're coming for you!
0:03:57 > 0:04:00We call baskets "airbags",
0:04:00 > 0:04:03because it basically slows them down when they hit a wall.
0:04:04 > 0:04:05There's one there.
0:04:05 > 0:04:07They go inside the shops, don't they?
0:04:07 > 0:04:10I don't know how they manage it.
0:04:10 > 0:04:14They just drive along, they don't bother about who's in the way.
0:04:14 > 0:04:17One Tuesday, I was down in the summer,
0:04:17 > 0:04:20it was that busy with mobility,
0:04:20 > 0:04:23I went home, I was fed up trying to dodge them!
0:04:25 > 0:04:27Dodgy driving might be common,
0:04:27 > 0:04:30but as mobility scooters are technically classed
0:04:30 > 0:04:34as disability aids, they're exempt from the Road Traffic Act...
0:04:34 > 0:04:35Oi!
0:04:35 > 0:04:38..leaving them free to jostle with cars on the road
0:04:38 > 0:04:40and pedestrians on the pavement,
0:04:40 > 0:04:42doing close to as they please.
0:04:43 > 0:04:45A mobility scooter
0:04:45 > 0:04:47pulling a Smart car?!
0:04:48 > 0:04:49That's incredible!
0:04:51 > 0:04:52Despite the lack of laws,
0:04:52 > 0:04:55South Yorkshire Police are trying to do something about it.
0:04:58 > 0:05:01Their solution happens on a purpose-built set,
0:05:01 > 0:05:05complete with streets, shops,
0:05:05 > 0:05:07and even a post office.
0:05:08 > 0:05:10That's brilliant, that.
0:05:10 > 0:05:11That's better.
0:05:12 > 0:05:14- Go a bit faster.- Yeah.
0:05:14 > 0:05:16Turn it up full.
0:05:16 > 0:05:20We've developed the Scooter Safe course to give users a chance
0:05:20 > 0:05:25to learn about the different aspects of manoeuvrability et cetera.
0:05:25 > 0:05:28Round here. Whoa, slow down!
0:05:30 > 0:05:31Well spotted.
0:05:31 > 0:05:34'They are technically alien to whichever environment they're in
0:05:34 > 0:05:37'cos they're not motor vehicles and they're not pedestrians.'
0:05:37 > 0:05:39Don't avoid it that much.
0:05:39 > 0:05:43- Whoa, whoa, whoa, what's happened here?!- Oh, I bent it.
0:05:43 > 0:05:45I wouldn't say they are a lethal weapon
0:05:45 > 0:05:48but they can cause quite serious injuries.
0:05:48 > 0:05:51Can I have a whizz round right fast?
0:05:51 > 0:05:53After one too many mishaps,
0:05:53 > 0:05:56Hazel's decided to drop by to pick up some pointers.
0:05:57 > 0:05:59Nice and slowly up to that stop sign.
0:06:02 > 0:06:05So now all I want you to do is to reverse.
0:06:05 > 0:06:07Hazel, stop you there.
0:06:08 > 0:06:10Have a good look behind you right now.
0:06:14 > 0:06:16- Yeah?- Have a look over the other shoulder.
0:06:21 > 0:06:22Well, what's that doing there?
0:06:22 > 0:06:23I put it there.
0:06:25 > 0:06:27- That could have been somebody's legs.- Yeah.- Yeah.
0:06:27 > 0:06:29Or maybe even a little child that's sat there
0:06:29 > 0:06:32and Mum's not paying attention. How's that make you feel?
0:06:32 > 0:06:34- I'd be gutted.- You'd be gutted, wouldn't you?- Absolutely.
0:06:34 > 0:06:37And it's a simple, simple little thing of making sure
0:06:37 > 0:06:41you're aware what's around you that avoids that kind of thing happening.
0:06:41 > 0:06:42OK, nice reversing for me.
0:06:53 > 0:06:56Overall, I was near on perfect.
0:06:56 > 0:06:57Move that please.
0:06:57 > 0:06:59'Just that one fault - '
0:06:59 > 0:07:01just hitting that little girl.
0:07:02 > 0:07:04'It will make me think now.'
0:07:08 > 0:07:11There are no legal restrictions on who can buy a scooter.
0:07:13 > 0:07:15Watch that kerb edge, Gordon. You got it?
0:07:15 > 0:07:18Even 84-year-old Gordon is keen to ride one.
0:07:18 > 0:07:21Right, Gordon, I've noticed the white stick.
0:07:21 > 0:07:24There's no issue with that because, crazily,
0:07:24 > 0:07:27there's no real law that says you can't ride it with impaired vision.
0:07:27 > 0:07:30But can I just clarify the extent of your vision problems?
0:07:30 > 0:07:33It's just tunnel vision.
0:07:33 > 0:07:36All I want you to do is to make sure you're aware of all around you
0:07:36 > 0:07:39before you set off or start moving in any direction.
0:07:39 > 0:07:40Brilliant.
0:07:40 > 0:07:44My son brought me because I wanted a scooter.
0:07:44 > 0:07:49He doesn't want me to go on a scooter and do something stupid.
0:07:49 > 0:07:51That's what he doesn't want me to do - something stupid.
0:07:54 > 0:07:56Go round this roundabout for me, Gordon.
0:07:58 > 0:07:59That's good.
0:07:59 > 0:08:01Keep round this one. Gordon!
0:08:01 > 0:08:04You're going down the wrong way down a street, look.
0:08:04 > 0:08:05Just reverse up for me.
0:08:06 > 0:08:07Come back.
0:08:07 > 0:08:08That's it. OK.
0:08:09 > 0:08:12- I'm sorry about that. - That's all right.
0:08:12 > 0:08:15'There is no requirement for anybody to undergo any formal testing.'
0:08:16 > 0:08:20There is no requirement for them to have full 20/20 vision,
0:08:20 > 0:08:23so you can see the problems that we highlight here.
0:08:23 > 0:08:27Reverse through the cones and I want you to go across the road, look,
0:08:27 > 0:08:30in front of that bus, backing into that little garage there.
0:08:31 > 0:08:33Oh, Gordon, OK.
0:08:33 > 0:08:36Keep it going backwards now, turn the other way.
0:08:36 > 0:08:38Hard over. No, the other way. Gordon, stop.
0:08:38 > 0:08:40Stop, stop, stop.
0:08:40 > 0:08:42Turn to your right.
0:08:42 > 0:08:44And head on down to the bottom there.
0:08:49 > 0:08:51Gordon, can I stop you there, mate?
0:08:52 > 0:08:55What are these traffic lights saying?
0:08:55 > 0:08:58Yeah? So you're not looking again.
0:08:58 > 0:09:00My father had a stroke a couple of years ago
0:09:00 > 0:09:01which has reduced his sight.
0:09:01 > 0:09:03My father thinks his sight's improved
0:09:03 > 0:09:04and part of bringing him here today
0:09:04 > 0:09:06is to assess how much that's improved
0:09:06 > 0:09:09and whether they feel he's safe to use a scooter.
0:09:09 > 0:09:11He's 84, he's quite stubborn.
0:09:11 > 0:09:14He doesn't listen to his son or his daughters,
0:09:14 > 0:09:17so we hope he would take some advice from a higher authority.
0:09:17 > 0:09:21So the decision is yours, really, whether you feel you're safe enough,
0:09:21 > 0:09:23cos we don't say whether you're right or wrong,
0:09:23 > 0:09:25we just give you the skills to be aware.
0:09:25 > 0:09:28What might be more beneficial for you to do, Gordon,
0:09:28 > 0:09:30is to come back on another session
0:09:30 > 0:09:32- and practise some more.- Yeah.
0:09:36 > 0:09:39ACCORDION MUSIC
0:09:46 > 0:09:50Britain's hundreds of thousands of mobility scooters
0:09:50 > 0:09:52are beginning to get under people's feet.
0:09:53 > 0:09:56According to the Department for Transport,
0:09:56 > 0:10:00serious collisions are almost always the fault of the driver.
0:10:06 > 0:10:11Hello, can I have a little chat with you?
0:10:11 > 0:10:16One woman making a stand is charity shop manager, Caren Jephson.
0:10:16 > 0:10:20Did you have any training when you bought your mobility scooters?
0:10:20 > 0:10:23- No.- Yes, well, we went round the corner. On the pavement.
0:10:23 > 0:10:26Because I think more people are going to be using these,
0:10:26 > 0:10:30so what I want to see is more people having proficiency tests.
0:10:30 > 0:10:34Have you had an accident yourself in it, or bumped anyone?
0:10:34 > 0:10:37Only me daughter, and she don't count!
0:10:37 > 0:10:41- If you've got a blind corner... - HORN BEEPS
0:10:41 > 0:10:46- Oh, that's very good. - ..to warn people.
0:10:46 > 0:10:524mph in a place that's as busy as this, I think it's too fast because
0:10:52 > 0:10:57it's supposed to be there to replace walking and we don't walk at 4mph.
0:10:59 > 0:11:02How all this horn blowing, shouting out, "Get out of the way,"
0:11:02 > 0:11:04they don't really have the right to do that.
0:11:04 > 0:11:08They need to be more observant, for the public that's going around them.
0:11:08 > 0:11:11We don't have to be more observant for them.
0:11:12 > 0:11:16Caren began campaigning two years ago, when her then 9-year-old son
0:11:16 > 0:11:19was knocked over on his way home from school.
0:11:19 > 0:11:23What annoyed me first, was the guy on the mobility scooter didn't
0:11:23 > 0:11:27even know he'd hit my son, so he sped off at the same speed
0:11:27 > 0:11:31he'd knocked my son down at, which was, to me, seemed
0:11:31 > 0:11:33well over 8mph.
0:11:33 > 0:11:36Went down to the local police station to report it
0:11:36 > 0:11:39and there was nothing they could do and I was just really shocked.
0:11:39 > 0:11:42And then the more people I spoke to, there was
0:11:42 > 0:11:45nearly everyone that knew someone who had been hit by a scooter
0:11:45 > 0:11:47and I was thinking, everyone's getting away with this,
0:11:47 > 0:11:52I'm not having this. So I decided to start my campaign.
0:11:52 > 0:11:55I've been campaigning for a year to bring in a proficiency test.
0:11:55 > 0:11:57- It was in the paper.- Yes.
0:11:57 > 0:12:01If anybody's got common sense, darling, you know how to use them.
0:12:01 > 0:12:05- My son got hit by one.- If you were on the road, that was your fault.
0:12:05 > 0:12:08Well, we wasn't, my son was actually on the pavement
0:12:08 > 0:12:12and it was a one-way street and the mobility scooter user should
0:12:12 > 0:12:15have been on the road, but because it was a one-way street,
0:12:15 > 0:12:17he decided to go up the one-way street
0:12:17 > 0:12:19on the pavement and hit my son.
0:12:19 > 0:12:23No chance your son could have got in the way of the scooter.
0:12:23 > 0:12:27You know children are little swines, I have it with this.
0:12:27 > 0:12:31But nobody looks, even adults don't look where they're going.
0:12:31 > 0:12:34So, you're not talking to the right lady, I'm afraid.
0:12:34 > 0:12:37I think you feel I'm really against mobility scooter users,
0:12:37 > 0:12:41and I'm not, I think everyone using them should be using them correctly.
0:12:41 > 0:12:45The minute I saw you in the paper, I guessed what you'd be doing.
0:12:45 > 0:12:47Trust me, you'll be glad...
0:12:47 > 0:12:50That child shouldn't have been in the way of the scooter.
0:12:50 > 0:12:53You'll be pleased with what I'm doing by the end of it,
0:12:53 > 0:12:55because it is for people like yourself.
0:12:55 > 0:12:57I won't if it's going to cost me more money.
0:12:59 > 0:13:03The Highway Code does ask scooter drivers to always give way
0:13:03 > 0:13:05to pedestrians.
0:13:05 > 0:13:07But with no enforced training or driving test,
0:13:07 > 0:13:10few people seem to take notice.
0:13:12 > 0:13:14Thanks for calling Mark Bates Limited, the home of
0:13:14 > 0:13:16premier care insurance.
0:13:16 > 0:13:18Please hold and one of our advisors will be with you soon.
0:13:18 > 0:13:20One moment, please.
0:13:20 > 0:13:24OK, so can you just roughly tell me what happened in the accident?
0:13:38 > 0:13:43Crashing into something is usually the most common one.
0:13:44 > 0:13:52Bollards, lamp posts, walls, people, cars, pretty much anything.
0:13:52 > 0:13:55- So the front of the scooter is completely smashed up?- Yeah.
0:13:55 > 0:13:59- And bits have fallen off it?- Yeah.
0:14:00 > 0:14:03Legally, scooters don't have to be insured,
0:14:03 > 0:14:07but a number of companies now offer cover for conscientious riders.
0:14:08 > 0:14:11The information we've got is that you were at church
0:14:11 > 0:14:14and you've driven the scooter into the Baptist bath?
0:14:35 > 0:14:38Oh, bless you, so your eyes were on the new bishop, were they?
0:14:41 > 0:14:42Was he?
0:14:48 > 0:14:49Of course.
0:14:57 > 0:14:59Yeah, they checked you over.
0:15:02 > 0:15:05With the waterlogged scooter taking the brunt of the impact,
0:15:05 > 0:15:08it was a £1,300 write-off.
0:15:08 > 0:15:12But, sometimes, it's the rider who comes off worse.
0:15:33 > 0:15:35Oh, bless you, are you OK?
0:15:40 > 0:15:43Of course you will be, don't worry.
0:15:45 > 0:15:47Have you seen a doctor yourself?
0:15:52 > 0:15:55Well, don't worry we can get this sorted out for you,
0:15:55 > 0:15:58I'm just setting up the claim over the phone now.
0:15:58 > 0:16:01I would suggest getting yourself looked at if you've hurt yourself.
0:16:15 > 0:16:19This has got one gear. Slow. Dead slow.
0:16:21 > 0:16:24You have to time your trips to the toilet to perfection.
0:16:26 > 0:16:29Time is catching up with 78-year-old Peter.
0:16:32 > 0:16:36Of course you'll get to here and think to yourself,
0:16:36 > 0:16:38what have I come for?
0:16:43 > 0:16:47Yes, he is a traditional man's man, definitely.
0:16:49 > 0:16:5123365660.
0:16:54 > 0:16:55That's my army number.
0:16:58 > 0:16:59Something you never forget,
0:16:59 > 0:17:02because if you forget, you didn't used to get paid.
0:17:02 > 0:17:04You just had to go to the back of the queue again.
0:17:08 > 0:17:11When Peter began suffering with chronic lung disease,
0:17:11 > 0:17:15his wife, Kathryn, took on the jobs he used to enjoy.
0:17:17 > 0:17:20I could scream. I can literally scream...
0:17:21 > 0:17:26..because my mind says one thing and my body says another.
0:17:26 > 0:17:28My mind says, "Get out the road, I can do it,"
0:17:28 > 0:17:30and my body says, "No, you can't."
0:17:31 > 0:17:33I know it can't, I shan't stop trying.
0:17:37 > 0:17:40The most difficult thing for him is not being able to get out,
0:17:40 > 0:17:43do what he wants to do.
0:17:43 > 0:17:46Now, you do feel old in this, I'll tell ya.
0:17:46 > 0:17:49It's been very difficult for him to adjust.
0:17:49 > 0:17:52He's having to rely on me at times
0:17:52 > 0:17:58and I think he feels that he's lost his independence.
0:18:00 > 0:18:03As Kathryn struggles to push Peter's wheelchair,
0:18:03 > 0:18:07they've decided to consider the world of motorised mobility.
0:18:07 > 0:18:10I must admit, when I first thought about these scooters,
0:18:10 > 0:18:13I thought, dear God, I hope I don't get to that stage.
0:18:13 > 0:18:16He's been fighting against it, actually.
0:18:16 > 0:18:19He's frightened he might lose his legs.
0:18:20 > 0:18:21Don't get old!
0:18:25 > 0:18:30There's a lot here, isn't there. My God, the Harley Davidson.
0:18:30 > 0:18:31Wow!
0:18:33 > 0:18:36- If you actually look, it's... - Is that a sat nav?
0:18:37 > 0:18:38No, it's a colour TV!
0:18:40 > 0:18:42If Peter wants to join the scooting world,
0:18:42 > 0:18:45there are two different types to choose from.
0:18:45 > 0:18:48The smaller size, restricted to the pavement
0:18:48 > 0:18:51- and the bigger ones... - Oh, my God!
0:18:51 > 0:18:53..which can venture onto the road.
0:18:54 > 0:18:58At the top end, these machines can cost £5,000.
0:19:06 > 0:19:08What have I done now?
0:19:08 > 0:19:12I'll tell you what's happened. We've left the steering lock on.
0:19:12 > 0:19:17I'm going nowhere, am I? I'm thinking I can't turn steering wheel.
0:19:17 > 0:19:19I did that to catch you out.
0:19:19 > 0:19:21I know you did, you'll tell me anything.
0:19:21 > 0:19:25This is something I never thought would happen.
0:19:25 > 0:19:28To old people who end up in scooters or whatever,
0:19:28 > 0:19:31it's never going to happen to you because it's never happened before.
0:19:31 > 0:19:34It's a hell of shock when it does. Reality has to click in.
0:19:34 > 0:19:37Now, it's not a quick sale, it's not a quick fix.
0:19:37 > 0:19:39You'll get an ideal piece of equipment
0:19:39 > 0:19:42and hopefully, you'll go away, you'll enjoy the use of the scooter,
0:19:42 > 0:19:44it'll benefit you in life.
0:19:44 > 0:19:46It's a lifeline.
0:19:51 > 0:19:54Peter may be reluctant to jump on the scooter bandwagon
0:19:54 > 0:19:55but he's in the minority.
0:20:00 > 0:20:04For many, they're a must-have accessory
0:20:04 > 0:20:08and second-hand models are changing hands for as little as £65.
0:20:13 > 0:20:18That young lad up there, his dad's got a scooter and he walks miles.
0:20:21 > 0:20:24Hey up!
0:20:24 > 0:20:27A lot of people don't need them and get them anyhow.
0:20:27 > 0:20:29There's nowt wrong with them.
0:20:39 > 0:20:40Well, you follow on.
0:20:45 > 0:20:47Alan bought his first scooter three years ago.
0:20:49 > 0:20:52After several upgrades, he's splashed out on a £4,000
0:20:52 > 0:20:57Vita 4 road model that tops out at 8mph...
0:20:58 > 0:21:02..although drivers are supposed to slow down to 4mph,
0:21:02 > 0:21:03when on pavements.
0:21:08 > 0:21:12Here's Speedy Gonzales, that's what we call him. Isn't it, Alan?
0:21:13 > 0:21:15Speedy Gonzales.
0:21:17 > 0:21:19Move that scooter out the way.
0:21:19 > 0:21:20Shut up moaning.
0:21:24 > 0:21:26Desperate Dan.
0:21:27 > 0:21:30That one's too big and it goes too fast for him.
0:21:30 > 0:21:32He'll run people over, him.
0:21:35 > 0:21:38Er, that's only a little one, that one.
0:21:39 > 0:21:41Only about 6mph that one.
0:21:43 > 0:21:47He may be happy to point the finger, but Alan's had a run-in of his own.
0:21:47 > 0:21:51I've only knocked one down so far. There's a cafe just up here.
0:21:51 > 0:21:53She's not bothered because she was on mobile phone,
0:21:53 > 0:21:56she didn't look where she was going.
0:21:56 > 0:21:59- Was she all right? - She was all right.
0:22:02 > 0:22:06A lot of people criticise people on mobility scooters,
0:22:06 > 0:22:08saying they shouldn't have them.
0:22:08 > 0:22:10You can do this, you can do that.
0:22:10 > 0:22:13If I can do it, I'll do it and if I can't, I won't.
0:22:13 > 0:22:17I've been suffering with epilepsy since I was six months old.
0:22:18 > 0:22:25Now, it's got worse, so...that's the end of story.
0:22:38 > 0:22:42Across town, 34-year-old Emily bought a scooter four months ago.
0:22:48 > 0:22:50Thank you.
0:22:50 > 0:22:53A single parent to ten-year-old Ben, Emily suffers
0:22:53 > 0:22:55from multiple sclerosis.
0:22:56 > 0:23:00I was diagnosed at 22, it started when I was 21.
0:23:00 > 0:23:03I had my whole life ahead of me, now look at me.
0:23:03 > 0:23:07I was house-bound before that. That was how bad it got.
0:23:07 > 0:23:09I couldn't walk.
0:23:09 > 0:23:11I was using Ben as a walking stick.
0:23:11 > 0:23:14Sounds awful but he had to keep me upright.
0:23:20 > 0:23:22The scooter may help her get around, but she's not
0:23:22 > 0:23:26the smoothest of drivers, so she's signed up to a course at Lifewise.
0:23:28 > 0:23:32I want you to put your scooter in the exact same position as this one.
0:23:32 > 0:23:33It's not a scooter, it's Thunder!
0:23:33 > 0:23:36Right, Thunder. Right, Emily.
0:23:36 > 0:23:40I can see you've got one or two scrapes down the side of Thunder.
0:23:42 > 0:23:44What was that through then?
0:23:44 > 0:23:47A brick wall. A brick wall? Oh, dear! Right.
0:23:55 > 0:23:58I've done my driving test six times.
0:23:58 > 0:24:00Unfortunately, I failed on six, so...
0:24:00 > 0:24:06Just watch your back there. Where you going?
0:24:06 > 0:24:07Come back this way.
0:24:07 > 0:24:11Emily's Achilles heel, one of several Achilles heels,
0:24:11 > 0:24:12is reversing.
0:24:14 > 0:24:16There's this overwhelming compulsion
0:24:16 > 0:24:19to keep doing this with your handlebars.
0:24:19 > 0:24:24Steer the direction you want to go. That's better.
0:24:25 > 0:24:28Start reversing to the shops or all the way to the shops.
0:24:28 > 0:24:30I'll knock somebody over.
0:24:30 > 0:24:35Do 20 yards every time you go out in reverse and see how it goes.
0:24:50 > 0:24:55With reversing still a concern, Steve, from Parkgate Mobility,
0:24:55 > 0:24:57has brought round something to help.
0:24:58 > 0:25:01Do you struggle to turn your head round a lot?
0:25:02 > 0:25:05- Yeah.- A stiff neck and things. - Yeah. About there, I think.
0:25:05 > 0:25:08About there.
0:25:08 > 0:25:11Right. What are you actually looking at now? Are you looking at me?
0:25:11 > 0:25:13- I'm looking at your face. - Well, that's no good.
0:25:13 > 0:25:16Good looking as I am, you need to be looking on the floor
0:25:16 > 0:25:18where you're going.
0:25:18 > 0:25:20- Can you see me all right now?- Yes.
0:25:20 > 0:25:24Keep looking forward as you would normally be driving
0:25:24 > 0:25:28- and just glance with your eyes. - Oh, yeah.- Yeah?- Yeah.
0:25:28 > 0:25:33Added visibility should leave Emily safer on the roads...
0:25:35 > 0:25:36..after a bit more practice.
0:25:43 > 0:25:47In Derby, Caren's campaign for compulsory training has
0:25:47 > 0:25:49over 6,000 signatures.
0:25:53 > 0:25:57Hundreds of people have contacted her about their own run-ins
0:25:57 > 0:25:59- with scooters.- It's open!
0:26:00 > 0:26:05- Hello.- The latest is 81-year-old Eileen.
0:26:08 > 0:26:12I was going shopping with Vivien, going to have our eyes tested.
0:26:12 > 0:26:16We'd stopped to look at a gentleman who didn't seem well.
0:26:16 > 0:26:21Right at that moment, the scooter hit me,
0:26:21 > 0:26:24the basket hit me and the next thing you know, I was on the floor.
0:26:24 > 0:26:26It just came out of nowhere.
0:26:26 > 0:26:28Mum didn't stand a chance. It hit her on her hip.
0:26:28 > 0:26:33It was sort of hip level and she went down completely
0:26:33 > 0:26:36and she didn't move for quite a long time after that.
0:26:36 > 0:26:38We had to have the ambulance and paramedics.
0:26:38 > 0:26:41They had to treat her on site for pain, severe pain.
0:26:41 > 0:26:44We couldn't get her up. She was on the floor for about an hour.
0:26:44 > 0:26:48It was a freezing-cold day, it was just before Christmas.
0:26:48 > 0:26:51So it affected your Christmas as well though, didn't it?
0:26:51 > 0:26:53Yes, Mum was in hospital over Christmas and New Year and then,
0:26:53 > 0:26:56subsequently, she was in hospital for three weeks.
0:26:56 > 0:26:58Eileen's pelvis had been shattered
0:26:58 > 0:27:02and she needed a partial hip replacement.
0:27:02 > 0:27:0716 months on, she's still struggling to get around.
0:27:07 > 0:27:10How do you feel about the whole incident now? Are you angry?
0:27:10 > 0:27:12- Bitter?- I used to get cross.
0:27:12 > 0:27:15I used to think, this is holding me up, you know,
0:27:15 > 0:27:19I'm fed up with this, I don't want to be like this.
0:27:19 > 0:27:21There are things that I used to do, obviously,
0:27:21 > 0:27:23that I won't be able to do again.
0:27:23 > 0:27:27But it's ongoing, you know, you just have to keep going.
0:27:27 > 0:27:31It's a shame because I think scooters are wonderful things.
0:27:31 > 0:27:34- It gives people a chance... - Extra bit of freedom.
0:27:34 > 0:27:37..to be a little bit more independent.
0:27:37 > 0:27:40It just really upsets me and there are no laws,
0:27:40 > 0:27:42nothing can help us with this
0:27:42 > 0:27:45and this is going to happen to somebody else and somebody else after
0:27:45 > 0:27:49and it's going to affect and change their life.
0:27:53 > 0:27:54In South Yorkshire,
0:27:54 > 0:27:59the emergency services are called to nearly ten scooter crashes a year.
0:27:59 > 0:28:02No-one knows how big the problem is nationally,
0:28:02 > 0:28:04as no official figures are collected.
0:28:18 > 0:28:22Hazel's on baby-sitting duty for the latest arrival, Anya.
0:28:24 > 0:28:30They call me Nanny Barmy. Nanny Barmy, because I'm crazy.
0:28:30 > 0:28:33No doubt this one will call me Nanny Barmy. Won't you?
0:28:44 > 0:28:48Hazel is one of 10,000 people whose health is so bad,
0:28:48 > 0:28:51they get their scooter paid for through disability allowance.
0:28:53 > 0:28:57But changes are coming to the benefit system.
0:28:57 > 0:29:03Can you pick up and move a half litre carton full of liquid?
0:29:04 > 0:29:06Within the scooter community,
0:29:06 > 0:29:10there's a real fear that people will lose their vehicles.
0:29:11 > 0:29:16Can you pick up a large, light object like an empty cardboard box?
0:29:19 > 0:29:25I will fight tooth and nail to keep my independence.
0:29:25 > 0:29:29Because no-body's going to take it from me.
0:29:29 > 0:29:32Nobody's going to take my independence away from me
0:29:32 > 0:29:35and I'll fight the bloody Government every inch of the way, because that
0:29:35 > 0:29:41is my lifeline and I will not let go of my independence, come what may.
0:29:48 > 0:29:51Across the country, thousands of people may be
0:29:51 > 0:29:52fighting to keep their scooters.
0:29:56 > 0:30:01But in North Wales, Gloria Brown's journey has come to an abrupt end.
0:30:05 > 0:30:09I don't use it any more, it's just there rotting, really.
0:30:09 > 0:30:11I'm too scared to use it.
0:30:11 > 0:30:14I know, when I have this replacement knee cap,
0:30:14 > 0:30:16I'm going to need the scooter,
0:30:16 > 0:30:18but there's no way I am going to go on that.
0:30:18 > 0:30:21There's no way I'm going to get caught again.
0:30:26 > 0:30:31I've got osteo-arthritis
0:30:31 > 0:30:37in the neck, back, spine, hips, knees.
0:30:37 > 0:30:41I've got to have a knee replacement, that's my next operation.
0:30:41 > 0:30:44What was it like when you first got your mobility scooter?
0:30:44 > 0:30:49Actually, it was fantastic because I then had a life,
0:30:49 > 0:30:56where I could actually go out and see people,
0:30:56 > 0:31:00do things, enjoy... Actually, enjoy life to the full.
0:31:00 > 0:31:02It changed my life.
0:31:09 > 0:31:11I'm up!
0:31:11 > 0:31:14It was a big case here in north Wales.
0:31:16 > 0:31:20It was getting near Christmas time and I'd gone in for some milk
0:31:20 > 0:31:21and some bits and bobs.
0:31:21 > 0:31:24I'd actually stopped at the milk counter
0:31:24 > 0:31:29and was sat on my scooter talking and I was hit from behind.
0:31:31 > 0:31:37I hit a flatbed truck which then went into the shop assistant.
0:31:40 > 0:31:45I asked if she was OK and I went up to the desk.
0:31:45 > 0:31:48I told them and asked them to log it in the book that there had been
0:31:48 > 0:31:52an accident and I just went home, I never thought any more about it.
0:31:56 > 0:32:00Gloria later received a letter from the shop assistant's solicitor
0:32:00 > 0:32:03claiming damages for injuries to her knee.
0:32:03 > 0:32:06As she wasn't insured, the case went to the civil court,
0:32:06 > 0:32:09and Gloria was judged to be responsible.
0:32:11 > 0:32:16Money to be paid under the judgment
0:32:16 > 0:32:21or the order is £16,588.64.
0:32:23 > 0:32:31£5,600 to the claimant and the rest of it was to go to her solicitor.
0:32:32 > 0:32:36At the time of the accident, Gloria was living with her elderly husband.
0:32:38 > 0:32:43Since then, they've split up and she's moved into a B&B.
0:32:43 > 0:32:46There's no way I can pay it.
0:32:46 > 0:32:51The only way that this could be paid, is if they kick my husband
0:32:51 > 0:32:58and his daughter out of the house, sell the house and take the money.
0:33:12 > 0:33:14I just really can't see any other way out.
0:33:20 > 0:33:21Gloria is not alone.
0:33:23 > 0:33:25Good morning, how may I help?
0:33:25 > 0:33:28The majority of riders aren't insured.
0:33:28 > 0:33:31With accidents and claims increasingly common,
0:33:31 > 0:33:34both pedestrians and scooter users are vulnerable.
0:33:34 > 0:33:37I'll give you a call back when I've got all the information.
0:33:37 > 0:33:41So you shot forward and accidently went into a lady?
0:33:44 > 0:33:46I can understand that.
0:33:51 > 0:33:57It's all right. Don't get upset about it, all right.
0:33:57 > 0:33:59Everybody has accidents. OK?
0:34:02 > 0:34:06Here's a selection of the largest claims that we've paid out
0:34:06 > 0:34:11in recent times and you can see, just on this spreadsheet alone,
0:34:11 > 0:34:17there's over 30 people with claims well above £10,000.
0:34:17 > 0:34:23The largest claim was £102,000 on a single incident.
0:34:23 > 0:34:28This was collision between a mobility scooter and a pedestrian.
0:34:29 > 0:34:35We had another one of £83,000 where our customer ran over
0:34:35 > 0:34:39a lady on the pavement.
0:34:39 > 0:34:44Then there is a scooter that pulled in to the pathway of a car.
0:34:44 > 0:34:47This form of insurance should be made compulsory.
0:34:47 > 0:34:51The public need protection and certainly
0:34:51 > 0:34:53the users of scooters need protection.
0:34:55 > 0:34:59On the pavements, pedestrians are a common victim of rogue scooters
0:34:59 > 0:35:01but on the roads,
0:35:01 > 0:35:04scooter drivers are the ones in a more precarious position.
0:35:04 > 0:35:07So you were driving along on your scooter and then what happened?
0:35:36 > 0:35:39Not hurt, that's the main thing, isn't it?
0:35:40 > 0:35:44This is the worst one I remember. The lorry was reversing,
0:35:44 > 0:35:47and the motor traffic was all waiting
0:35:47 > 0:35:51but he just undercut all the traffic and went under the wheel.
0:35:51 > 0:35:53That was a driver error.
0:35:54 > 0:35:58I personally think they should have a test to go on the road
0:35:58 > 0:36:01as car drivers being responsible, and it's not just themselves.
0:36:01 > 0:36:02It's causing accidents for others.
0:36:02 > 0:36:06That could have been very different, you know, for other people.
0:36:06 > 0:36:09So, I personally think they should have some kind of test.
0:36:14 > 0:36:18With scooters using the roads, there are collisions that people
0:36:18 > 0:36:19don't walk away from.
0:36:23 > 0:36:25The police don't routinely collect figures,
0:36:25 > 0:36:30but back in 2004, at least eight scooter riders died.
0:36:34 > 0:36:37A man driving a mobility scooter has died
0:36:37 > 0:36:40after suffering multiple injuries in a crash with a bus.
0:36:40 > 0:36:45This is in Burton-on-Trent, which is not far from where I live.
0:36:45 > 0:36:47There's an inquest open
0:36:47 > 0:36:50on the mobility scooter death of someone in Oxford.
0:36:50 > 0:36:54An OAP who collided with a reversing car
0:36:54 > 0:36:57while driving on a mobility scooter and this is recent.
0:36:57 > 0:37:00There's no end of them.
0:37:00 > 0:37:03It's just so upsetting how many deaths there is.
0:37:06 > 0:37:08Coroners investigating the deaths have asked
0:37:08 > 0:37:12the Department for Transport to look into extra legislation.
0:37:14 > 0:37:18Caren's been forwarded the Secretary of State's response.
0:37:18 > 0:37:21"We have no immediate plans to make this mandatory
0:37:21 > 0:37:24"because we lack comprehensive evidence
0:37:24 > 0:37:27"that the use of a mobility scooter vehicle as a whole
0:37:27 > 0:37:29"is a major public safety concern."
0:37:33 > 0:37:37They just don't see what's going on in front of their own eyes.
0:37:37 > 0:37:40They think I have sent my petition in and nobody is listening
0:37:40 > 0:37:44and I've put all that work into it and people have took the time out
0:37:44 > 0:37:49to write private letters to me and it's just completely being ignored.
0:37:49 > 0:37:51It makes me really angry.
0:37:51 > 0:37:53People always say, they'll listen when someone dies,
0:37:53 > 0:37:55but someone has died.
0:37:55 > 0:37:57There needs to be a change in the law.
0:38:04 > 0:38:09In Pinxton, Peter is still unsure about joining the scooter brigade.
0:38:11 > 0:38:17In a scooter, it's a privilege to mix with the pedestrians,
0:38:17 > 0:38:20so you shouldn't try to run them over or run into them.
0:38:20 > 0:38:24I'll be ignorant to it but I've seen it. I've seen it.
0:38:25 > 0:38:30You get some people who I call totally ignorant.
0:38:30 > 0:38:33They have a right to be on pavement.
0:38:33 > 0:38:36They have a right to be on the pavement, a right
0:38:36 > 0:38:39to say, "Step aside whilst I get past," you know.
0:38:39 > 0:38:41No, you haven't.
0:38:41 > 0:38:45You have a right to walk like everyone else, but you can't,
0:38:45 > 0:38:48so you're on a buggy, so you take your time.
0:38:48 > 0:38:52I don't think these big ones should be on the pavement anyway.
0:38:52 > 0:38:54They're made for the road, they should stop on the road.
0:38:54 > 0:38:57It's like asking me to put my car on the pavement.
0:38:57 > 0:38:59Because they are big, aren't they?
0:38:59 > 0:39:01You've only got to give them a bit of a squirt,
0:39:01 > 0:39:03they could be into somebody.
0:39:03 > 0:39:06If he is going to buy one, Peter doesn't want to make
0:39:06 > 0:39:10the same mistakes as some of his fellow riders...
0:39:11 > 0:39:14..so he's signed up for the safe driving course.
0:39:16 > 0:39:18You've got high and low here,
0:39:18 > 0:39:21because this is a class three machine with 8mph and 4mph.
0:39:21 > 0:39:24When you press them, it goes to maximum that you set here and here.
0:39:24 > 0:39:26- How long have you had yours?- A year.
0:39:30 > 0:39:33I've been on a golf buggy but that's totally different.
0:39:38 > 0:39:41Do you know what this thing reminds me of? My stair lift!
0:39:50 > 0:39:51Peter might not want to admit it,
0:39:51 > 0:39:54but after a few hours in the driving seat,
0:39:54 > 0:39:56him and his scooter seem like a good match.
0:39:58 > 0:40:02- BEEPING - Turn it the other way now.
0:40:04 > 0:40:06Well, there's a thing.
0:40:06 > 0:40:07Well...
0:40:08 > 0:40:09BEEPING
0:40:13 > 0:40:15Thank you. Switch if off.
0:40:27 > 0:40:29With the new benefits changes coming in,
0:40:29 > 0:40:32Hazel's been forced to justify why she needs a scooter.
0:40:32 > 0:40:36Her carers have written a letter in her support.
0:40:36 > 0:40:39But it's also revealed, for the first time, just how ill she is.
0:40:42 > 0:40:46"If Hazel goes out, she needs her mobility scooter.
0:40:46 > 0:40:51"Her walking distance is approximately ten yards very slowly.
0:40:51 > 0:40:56"Hazel is now receiving palliative care aimed at maintaining
0:40:56 > 0:40:58"her current quality of life."
0:41:03 > 0:41:06God, I'm on palliative care - I know what that means.
0:41:08 > 0:41:15There's nothing more they can do for me, it's sort of end-of-life care.
0:41:16 > 0:41:21Scary. I wish I hadn't have got to know.
0:41:31 > 0:41:34I think it's knocked the stuffing out of me, you know.
0:41:36 > 0:41:39You are looking at outside, it's a lovely day,
0:41:39 > 0:41:41people are milling about, you know,
0:41:41 > 0:41:46and you just think, "God, I might not be here." It just suddenly hits you.
0:41:56 > 0:42:00Across town, Emily is having second thoughts about her scooter.
0:42:01 > 0:42:06In eight months, I've basically put on two-and-a-half stone
0:42:06 > 0:42:09for not walking around, it's a nightmare.
0:42:09 > 0:42:12And the thing is, when I was younger,
0:42:12 > 0:42:15before being diagnosed, I used to go out walking a lot.
0:42:15 > 0:42:19It's what I did, but I can't do it any more.
0:42:26 > 0:42:28That's another example.
0:42:29 > 0:42:34You get somebody a lot older than me that can walk perfectly well.
0:42:34 > 0:42:36I should be doing that.
0:42:36 > 0:42:39It's like the shoe is on the other foot, if you know what I mean.
0:42:39 > 0:42:40SHE LAUGHS
0:42:42 > 0:42:43I know I giggle a lot and I laugh
0:42:43 > 0:42:48but a lot of it is nervous laugh, but underneath I'm dying.
0:42:48 > 0:42:51Inside, I just think, "Oh, for goodness' sake!"
0:42:54 > 0:42:59I view scooter users to be in their 60s and upwards.
0:43:01 > 0:43:04I'm too young for it, I really am too young for it.
0:43:05 > 0:43:12It's Ben! Hello! You all right? You had a good day?
0:43:12 > 0:43:14Thank you.
0:43:19 > 0:43:23Although Emily is unlikely to give up her scooter,
0:43:23 > 0:43:25she's resolved to get back on her feet more.
0:43:27 > 0:43:30The first step is a daily regime of once round the block.
0:43:32 > 0:43:38I'm seeing a physiotherapist and he's trying to get me
0:43:38 > 0:43:41so I'm more independent with my walking.
0:43:42 > 0:43:46I always said, the day my legs give up on me
0:43:46 > 0:43:47is the day I give up on them.
0:43:47 > 0:43:50I've always kept that. I'm not giving up on them just yet.
0:43:52 > 0:43:53I'm not, I'm determined.
0:44:06 > 0:44:10Despite his many reservations, Peter is taking the plunge.
0:44:10 > 0:44:13He's decided to stay away from potentially dangerous roads
0:44:13 > 0:44:17by opting for a pavement-only model.
0:44:17 > 0:44:19I've got to respect everyone else around me
0:44:19 > 0:44:20so it's going to be difficult.
0:44:20 > 0:44:24Well, not difficult, it's something you've got to get used to.
0:44:24 > 0:44:26OK, then. Cheers.
0:44:36 > 0:44:40It's taken a lot to get to this stage, quite honestly.
0:44:40 > 0:44:42I knew it would come to this eventually.
0:44:45 > 0:44:48Absolutely wonderful. It does make a difference.
0:44:48 > 0:44:51After you've walked that far, you would be getting short of breath.
0:44:51 > 0:44:55It's nice and easy to get round.
0:44:56 > 0:44:58I'll have trouble keeping up with him now.
0:44:58 > 0:45:01It'll be drive me here, set it up, and bye-bye.
0:45:01 > 0:45:03Is she still with me?
0:45:04 > 0:45:06Peter may be happy,
0:45:06 > 0:45:09but the scooter has brought Kathryn some independence too.
0:45:13 > 0:45:15It's going to be wonderful this is.
0:45:15 > 0:45:17I can do what I want to do.
0:45:17 > 0:45:20I can look at the home furnishings while he looks at the boring stuff.
0:45:22 > 0:45:24Excuse me. Garden lawn edging?
0:45:26 > 0:45:27Like duck to water.
0:45:28 > 0:45:31No effort, because I'm not walking, am I?
0:45:32 > 0:45:34Wonderful.
0:45:36 > 0:45:39# Dream
0:45:39 > 0:45:41# Dream, dream, dream
0:45:41 > 0:45:43# Dream
0:45:43 > 0:45:45# Dream, dream, dream... #
0:45:45 > 0:45:47Whitley Bay on the north-east coast.
0:45:50 > 0:45:52I'll just sneak a chip.
0:45:54 > 0:45:56Beautiful.
0:45:56 > 0:46:00It's a rare day out for 58-year-old Hazel and her sister Maggie.
0:46:01 > 0:46:05Getting away, you know, today, I'm absolutely loving it.
0:46:05 > 0:46:09You just forget everything because you are having such a lovely time.
0:46:09 > 0:46:12It's been a big change, Mag, because we don't go anywhere together,
0:46:12 > 0:46:13- do we?- No, not really.
0:46:15 > 0:46:19I do know I'm very ill, I just know I'm very ill.
0:46:19 > 0:46:23I don't know if I'm going to wake up tomorrow, the next day,
0:46:23 > 0:46:25the week after.
0:46:25 > 0:46:26I don't know, you can't say.
0:46:31 > 0:46:33With every day precious,
0:46:33 > 0:46:36Hazel's come to seek out a magical place on the scooter map.
0:46:36 > 0:46:38I'm looking for a scooter.
0:46:42 > 0:46:45It's better than paying out for taxis, isn't it?
0:46:50 > 0:46:54Whitley Bay Hire Shop customises mobility scooters
0:46:54 > 0:46:56into a wide range of vehicles.
0:46:56 > 0:46:58Is this eight mile? Is it?
0:47:03 > 0:47:05I think I need a bit of WD40 on it!
0:47:07 > 0:47:10With the Jeep back in the workshop for essential repairs...
0:47:10 > 0:47:12Reeoow!
0:47:12 > 0:47:14..Hazel opts for the low rider.
0:47:16 > 0:47:20It's me Harley Davidson, this! Isn't it lovely?
0:47:35 > 0:47:41You do think sometimes, you've been dealt an unfair hand
0:47:41 > 0:47:48but then again, you just think some people are worse off than you.
0:47:48 > 0:47:50And they are.
0:47:50 > 0:47:53Some people don't live until they're 30, 20.
0:47:54 > 0:47:56I've had nearly 60 years.
0:47:57 > 0:48:00But I just love life.
0:48:01 > 0:48:02Yeah, I do.
0:48:06 > 0:48:09Without a scooter, Hazel and thousands like her,
0:48:09 > 0:48:13would never get the opportunity to live their later years to the full.
0:48:14 > 0:48:17There may be problems, but while that holds true,
0:48:17 > 0:48:21the mobility scooter revolution will just keep gathering speed.
0:48:30 > 0:48:33# Bring me sunshine
0:48:34 > 0:48:36# In your smile
0:48:37 > 0:48:39# Bring me laughter
0:48:40 > 0:48:41# All the while
0:48:43 > 0:48:46# In this world where we live
0:48:47 > 0:48:49# There should be more happiness
0:48:49 > 0:48:52# So much joy you can give
0:48:52 > 0:48:55# To each brand-new, bright tomorrow
0:48:55 > 0:48:57# Make me happy... #