The Trouble with Mobility Scooters

The UK has more mobility scooters than any other country in Europe.

Oh, she's a nice one, Dave.

People who struggle to walk have been freed from the front room

and given licence to crisscross the highways and byways

at their leisure.

Morning! Morning!

'It is my lifeline.'

I literally go everywhere in it.

SHE IMITATES MOTORBIKE ENGINE

The scooter bandwagon has quadrupled in just five years.

Wow! Is that sat nav?

Sat nav? It's a colour TV.

Now everyone wants to get on board.

I've just noticed the white stick.

Gordon! You're going down the wrong way down the street, look.

-I'm sorry about that.

-That's all right.

But a backlash is brewing against these supposedly sedate machines.

Move that scooter out o' way!

Shut up, moaning pillock.

My son got hit by one.

You were on the road, that was your fault.

Well, it wasn't. My son was actually on the pavement.

Dodgy driving and accidents are on the rise...

Oh! Oh!

..and with no compulsory training or even basic traffic laws

to keep them in check...

So the front of the scooter is completely smashed up?

-ON PHONE:

-'I just feel so guilty.'

..is the mobility scooter revolution veering out of control?

I call these God's waiting rooms.

You're just waiting, aren't you?

I shouldn't laugh.

Oh, we have life again.

SHE LAUGHS

58-year-old Hazel was diagnosed with chronic lung disease

eight years ago.

She now struggles to walk more than a few yards.

So, this is my scooter.

-INTERVIEWER:

-Do I need to be worried?

Yes, I'd be very worried!

Morning, ladies!

Morning, Nora!

Yeah, see you.

Having a set of wheels has given her the freedom to get out and about

and spend money on her four grandkids, with a fifth on the way.

I want something pretty frilly.

Yeah. We've got to have a cardigan, haven't we?

'It's my lifeline.'

I literally go everywhere in it.

'Nearly every day I go out on that scooter.

'It's just, you know, an absolute lifesaver, for me.'

Ten minutes' shopping - didn't take me long to spend £40, did it?

Hazel's been on the road for five years,

but she's never had any scooter training,

so she's still honing her skills.

BUMPING AND SCRAPING

I hit a man the other week.

But it wasn't my fault.

I hit him in bum and he fell forward.

I just said, "I'm ever so sorry, sweetheart, are you all right?"

He were all right about it.

It's a very tight fit.

When I then put it in there for night,

I nearly end up in next door's garden.

THUMP Told you, I've just hit wall!

MUSIC: "Hungarian Dance No 5" by Johannes Brahms

Hazel is just one of the 330,000 scooter riders across the UK.

Their numbers are continuing to grow,

but not everyone is happy to see them.

They get in your way and they buzz around

and you're just walking along and suddenly, "Zzz!"

they're in front of you.

We hear the noise, you know, the "beep, beep!",

and you know they're coming for you!

We call baskets "airbags",

because it basically slows them down when they hit a wall.

There's one there.

They go inside the shops, don't they?

I don't know how they manage it.

They just drive along, they don't bother about who's in the way.

One Tuesday, I was down in the summer,

it was that busy with mobility,

I went home, I was fed up trying to dodge them!

Dodgy driving might be common,

but as mobility scooters are technically classed

as disability aids, they're exempt from the Road Traffic Act...

Oi!

..leaving them free to jostle with cars on the road

and pedestrians on the pavement,

doing close to as they please.

A mobility scooter

pulling a Smart car?!

That's incredible!

Despite the lack of laws,

South Yorkshire Police are trying to do something about it.

Their solution happens on a purpose-built set,

complete with streets, shops,

and even a post office.

That's brilliant, that.

That's better.

-Go a bit faster.

-Yeah.

Turn it up full.

We've developed the Scooter Safe course to give users a chance

to learn about the different aspects of manoeuvrability et cetera.

Round here. Whoa, slow down!

Well spotted.

'They are technically alien to whichever environment they're in

'cos they're not motor vehicles and they're not pedestrians.'

Don't avoid it that much.

-Whoa, whoa, whoa, what's happened here?!

-Oh, I bent it.

I wouldn't say they are a lethal weapon

but they can cause quite serious injuries.

Can I have a whizz round right fast?

After one too many mishaps,

Hazel's decided to drop by to pick up some pointers.

Nice and slowly up to that stop sign.

So now all I want you to do is to reverse.

Hazel, stop you there.

Have a good look behind you right now.

-Yeah?

-Have a look over the other shoulder.

Well, what's that doing there?

I put it there.

-That could have been somebody's legs.

-Yeah.

-Yeah.

Or maybe even a little child that's sat there

and Mum's not paying attention. How's that make you feel?

-I'd be gutted.

-You'd be gutted, wouldn't you?

-Absolutely.

And it's a simple, simple little thing of making sure

you're aware what's around you that avoids that kind of thing happening.

OK, nice reversing for me.

Overall, I was near on perfect.

Move that please.

'Just that one fault - '

just hitting that little girl.

'It will make me think now.'

There are no legal restrictions on who can buy a scooter.

Watch that kerb edge, Gordon. You got it?

Even 84-year-old Gordon is keen to ride one.

Right, Gordon, I've noticed the white stick.

There's no issue with that because, crazily,

there's no real law that says you can't ride it with impaired vision.

But can I just clarify the extent of your vision problems?

It's just tunnel vision.

All I want you to do is to make sure you're aware of all around you

before you set off or start moving in any direction.

Brilliant.

My son brought me because I wanted a scooter.

He doesn't want me to go on a scooter and do something stupid.

That's what he doesn't want me to do - something stupid.

Go round this roundabout for me, Gordon.

That's good.

Keep round this one. Gordon!

You're going down the wrong way down a street, look.

Just reverse up for me.

Come back.

That's it. OK.

-I'm sorry about that.

-That's all right.

'There is no requirement for anybody to undergo any formal testing.'

There is no requirement for them to have full 20/20 vision,

so you can see the problems that we highlight here.

Reverse through the cones and I want you to go across the road, look,

in front of that bus, backing into that little garage there.

Oh, Gordon, OK.

Keep it going backwards now, turn the other way.

Hard over. No, the other way. Gordon, stop.

Stop, stop, stop.

Turn to your right.

And head on down to the bottom there.

Gordon, can I stop you there, mate?

What are these traffic lights saying?

Yeah? So you're not looking again.

My father had a stroke a couple of years ago

which has reduced his sight.

My father thinks his sight's improved

and part of bringing him here today

is to assess how much that's improved

and whether they feel he's safe to use a scooter.

He's 84, he's quite stubborn.

He doesn't listen to his son or his daughters,

so we hope he would take some advice from a higher authority.

So the decision is yours, really, whether you feel you're safe enough,

cos we don't say whether you're right or wrong,

we just give you the skills to be aware.

What might be more beneficial for you to do, Gordon,

is to come back on another session

-and practise some more.

-Yeah.

ACCORDION MUSIC

Britain's hundreds of thousands of mobility scooters

are beginning to get under people's feet.

According to the Department for Transport,

serious collisions are almost always the fault of the driver.

Hello, can I have a little chat with you?

One woman making a stand is charity shop manager, Caren Jephson.

Did you have any training when you bought your mobility scooters?

-No.

-Yes, well, we went round the corner. On the pavement.

Because I think more people are going to be using these,

so what I want to see is more people having proficiency tests.

Have you had an accident yourself in it, or bumped anyone?

Only me daughter, and she don't count!

-If you've got a blind corner...

-HORN BEEPS

-Oh, that's very good.

-..to warn people.

4mph in a place that's as busy as this, I think it's too fast because

it's supposed to be there to replace walking and we don't walk at 4mph.

How all this horn blowing, shouting out, "Get out of the way,"

they don't really have the right to do that.

They need to be more observant, for the public that's going around them.

We don't have to be more observant for them.

Caren began campaigning two years ago, when her then 9-year-old son

was knocked over on his way home from school.

What annoyed me first, was the guy on the mobility scooter didn't

even know he'd hit my son, so he sped off at the same speed

he'd knocked my son down at, which was, to me, seemed

well over 8mph.

Went down to the local police station to report it

and there was nothing they could do and I was just really shocked.

And then the more people I spoke to, there was

nearly everyone that knew someone who had been hit by a scooter

and I was thinking, everyone's getting away with this,

I'm not having this. So I decided to start my campaign.

I've been campaigning for a year to bring in a proficiency test.

-It was in the paper.

-Yes.

If anybody's got common sense, darling, you know how to use them.

-My son got hit by one.

-If you were on the road, that was your fault.

Well, we wasn't, my son was actually on the pavement

and it was a one-way street and the mobility scooter user should

have been on the road, but because it was a one-way street,

he decided to go up the one-way street

on the pavement and hit my son.

No chance your son could have got in the way of the scooter.

You know children are little swines, I have it with this.

But nobody looks, even adults don't look where they're going.

So, you're not talking to the right lady, I'm afraid.

I think you feel I'm really against mobility scooter users,

and I'm not, I think everyone using them should be using them correctly.

The minute I saw you in the paper, I guessed what you'd be doing.

Trust me, you'll be glad...

That child shouldn't have been in the way of the scooter.

You'll be pleased with what I'm doing by the end of it,

because it is for people like yourself.

I won't if it's going to cost me more money.

The Highway Code does ask scooter drivers to always give way

to pedestrians.

But with no enforced training or driving test,

few people seem to take notice.

Thanks for calling Mark Bates Limited, the home of

premier care insurance.

Please hold and one of our advisors will be with you soon.

One moment, please.

OK, so can you just roughly tell me what happened in the accident?

Crashing into something is usually the most common one.

Bollards, lamp posts, walls, people, cars, pretty much anything.

-So the front of the scooter is completely smashed up?

-Yeah.

-And bits have fallen off it?

-Yeah.

Legally, scooters don't have to be insured,

but a number of companies now offer cover for conscientious riders.

The information we've got is that you were at church

and you've driven the scooter into the Baptist bath?

Oh, bless you, so your eyes were on the new bishop, were they?

Was he?

Of course.

Yeah, they checked you over.

With the waterlogged scooter taking the brunt of the impact,

it was a £1,300 write-off.

But, sometimes, it's the rider who comes off worse.

Oh, bless you, are you OK?

Of course you will be, don't worry.

Have you seen a doctor yourself?

Well, don't worry we can get this sorted out for you,

I'm just setting up the claim over the phone now.

I would suggest getting yourself looked at if you've hurt yourself.

This has got one gear. Slow. Dead slow.

You have to time your trips to the toilet to perfection.

Time is catching up with 78-year-old Peter.

Of course you'll get to here and think to yourself,

what have I come for?

Yes, he is a traditional man's man, definitely.

23365660.

That's my army number.

Something you never forget,

because if you forget, you didn't used to get paid.

You just had to go to the back of the queue again.

When Peter began suffering with chronic lung disease,

his wife, Kathryn, took on the jobs he used to enjoy.

I could scream. I can literally scream...

..because my mind says one thing and my body says another.

My mind says, "Get out the road, I can do it,"

and my body says, "No, you can't."

I know it can't, I shan't stop trying.

The most difficult thing for him is not being able to get out,

do what he wants to do.

Now, you do feel old in this, I'll tell ya.

It's been very difficult for him to adjust.

He's having to rely on me at times

and I think he feels that he's lost his independence.

As Kathryn struggles to push Peter's wheelchair,

they've decided to consider the world of motorised mobility.

I must admit, when I first thought about these scooters,

I thought, dear God, I hope I don't get to that stage.

He's been fighting against it, actually.

He's frightened he might lose his legs.

Don't get old!

There's a lot here, isn't there. My God, the Harley Davidson.

Wow!

-If you actually look, it's...

-Is that a sat nav?

No, it's a colour TV!

If Peter wants to join the scooting world,

there are two different types to choose from.

The smaller size, restricted to the pavement

-and the bigger ones...

-Oh, my God!

..which can venture onto the road.

At the top end, these machines can cost £5,000.

What have I done now?

I'll tell you what's happened. We've left the steering lock on.

I'm going nowhere, am I? I'm thinking I can't turn steering wheel.

I did that to catch you out.

I know you did, you'll tell me anything.

This is something I never thought would happen.

To old people who end up in scooters or whatever,

it's never going to happen to you because it's never happened before.

It's a hell of shock when it does. Reality has to click in.

Now, it's not a quick sale, it's not a quick fix.

You'll get an ideal piece of equipment

and hopefully, you'll go away, you'll enjoy the use of the scooter,

it'll benefit you in life.

It's a lifeline.

Peter may be reluctant to jump on the scooter bandwagon

but he's in the minority.

For many, they're a must-have accessory

and second-hand models are changing hands for as little as £65.

That young lad up there, his dad's got a scooter and he walks miles.

Hey up!

A lot of people don't need them and get them anyhow.

There's nowt wrong with them.

Well, you follow on.

Alan bought his first scooter three years ago.

After several upgrades, he's splashed out on a £4,000

Vita 4 road model that tops out at 8mph...

..although drivers are supposed to slow down to 4mph,

when on pavements.

Here's Speedy Gonzales, that's what we call him. Isn't it, Alan?

Speedy Gonzales.

Move that scooter out the way.

Shut up moaning.

Desperate Dan.

That one's too big and it goes too fast for him.

He'll run people over, him.

Er, that's only a little one, that one.

Only about 6mph that one.

He may be happy to point the finger, but Alan's had a run-in of his own.

I've only knocked one down so far. There's a cafe just up here.

She's not bothered because she was on mobile phone,

she didn't look where she was going.

-Was she all right?

-She was all right.

A lot of people criticise people on mobility scooters,

saying they shouldn't have them.

You can do this, you can do that.

If I can do it, I'll do it and if I can't, I won't.

I've been suffering with epilepsy since I was six months old.

Now, it's got worse, so...that's the end of story.

Across town, 34-year-old Emily bought a scooter four months ago.

Thank you.

A single parent to ten-year-old Ben, Emily suffers

from multiple sclerosis.

I was diagnosed at 22, it started when I was 21.

I had my whole life ahead of me, now look at me.

I was house-bound before that. That was how bad it got.

I couldn't walk.

I was using Ben as a walking stick.

Sounds awful but he had to keep me upright.

The scooter may help her get around, but she's not

the smoothest of drivers, so she's signed up to a course at Lifewise.

I want you to put your scooter in the exact same position as this one.

It's not a scooter, it's Thunder!

Right, Thunder. Right, Emily.

I can see you've got one or two scrapes down the side of Thunder.

What was that through then?

A brick wall. A brick wall? Oh, dear! Right.

I've done my driving test six times.

Unfortunately, I failed on six, so...

Just watch your back there. Where you going?

Come back this way.

Emily's Achilles heel, one of several Achilles heels,

is reversing.

There's this overwhelming compulsion

to keep doing this with your handlebars.

Steer the direction you want to go. That's better.

Start reversing to the shops or all the way to the shops.

I'll knock somebody over.

Do 20 yards every time you go out in reverse and see how it goes.

With reversing still a concern, Steve, from Parkgate Mobility,

has brought round something to help.

Do you struggle to turn your head round a lot?

-Yeah.

-A stiff neck and things.

-Yeah. About there, I think.

About there.

Right. What are you actually looking at now? Are you looking at me?

-I'm looking at your face.

-Well, that's no good.

Good looking as I am, you need to be looking on the floor

where you're going.

-Can you see me all right now?

-Yes.

Keep looking forward as you would normally be driving

-and just glance with your eyes.

-Oh, yeah.

-Yeah?

-Yeah.

Added visibility should leave Emily safer on the roads...

..after a bit more practice.

In Derby, Caren's campaign for compulsory training has

over 6,000 signatures.

Hundreds of people have contacted her about their own run-ins

-with scooters.

-It's open!

-Hello.

-The latest is 81-year-old Eileen.

I was going shopping with Vivien, going to have our eyes tested.

We'd stopped to look at a gentleman who didn't seem well.

Right at that moment, the scooter hit me,

the basket hit me and the next thing you know, I was on the floor.

It just came out of nowhere.

Mum didn't stand a chance. It hit her on her hip.

It was sort of hip level and she went down completely

and she didn't move for quite a long time after that.

We had to have the ambulance and paramedics.

They had to treat her on site for pain, severe pain.

We couldn't get her up. She was on the floor for about an hour.

It was a freezing-cold day, it was just before Christmas.

So it affected your Christmas as well though, didn't it?

Yes, Mum was in hospital over Christmas and New Year and then,

subsequently, she was in hospital for three weeks.

Eileen's pelvis had been shattered

and she needed a partial hip replacement.

16 months on, she's still struggling to get around.

How do you feel about the whole incident now? Are you angry?

-Bitter?

-I used to get cross.

I used to think, this is holding me up, you know,

I'm fed up with this, I don't want to be like this.

There are things that I used to do, obviously,

that I won't be able to do again.

But it's ongoing, you know, you just have to keep going.

It's a shame because I think scooters are wonderful things.

-It gives people a chance...

-Extra bit of freedom.

..to be a little bit more independent.

It just really upsets me and there are no laws,

nothing can help us with this

and this is going to happen to somebody else and somebody else after

and it's going to affect and change their life.

In South Yorkshire,

the emergency services are called to nearly ten scooter crashes a year.

No-one knows how big the problem is nationally,

as no official figures are collected.

Hazel's on baby-sitting duty for the latest arrival, Anya.

They call me Nanny Barmy. Nanny Barmy, because I'm crazy.

No doubt this one will call me Nanny Barmy. Won't you?

Hazel is one of 10,000 people whose health is so bad,

they get their scooter paid for through disability allowance.

But changes are coming to the benefit system.

Can you pick up and move a half litre carton full of liquid?

Within the scooter community,

there's a real fear that people will lose their vehicles.

Can you pick up a large, light object like an empty cardboard box?

I will fight tooth and nail to keep my independence.

Because no-body's going to take it from me.

Nobody's going to take my independence away from me

and I'll fight the bloody Government every inch of the way, because that

is my lifeline and I will not let go of my independence, come what may.

Across the country, thousands of people may be

fighting to keep their scooters.

But in North Wales, Gloria Brown's journey has come to an abrupt end.

I don't use it any more, it's just there rotting, really.

I'm too scared to use it.

I know, when I have this replacement knee cap,

I'm going to need the scooter,

but there's no way I am going to go on that.

There's no way I'm going to get caught again.

I've got osteo-arthritis

in the neck, back, spine, hips, knees.

I've got to have a knee replacement, that's my next operation.

What was it like when you first got your mobility scooter?

Actually, it was fantastic because I then had a life,

where I could actually go out and see people,

do things, enjoy... Actually, enjoy life to the full.

It changed my life.

I'm up!

It was a big case here in north Wales.

It was getting near Christmas time and I'd gone in for some milk

and some bits and bobs.

I'd actually stopped at the milk counter

and was sat on my scooter talking and I was hit from behind.

I hit a flatbed truck which then went into the shop assistant.

I asked if she was OK and I went up to the desk.

I told them and asked them to log it in the book that there had been

an accident and I just went home, I never thought any more about it.

Gloria later received a letter from the shop assistant's solicitor

claiming damages for injuries to her knee.

As she wasn't insured, the case went to the civil court,

and Gloria was judged to be responsible.

Money to be paid under the judgment

or the order is £16,588.64.

£5,600 to the claimant and the rest of it was to go to her solicitor.

At the time of the accident, Gloria was living with her elderly husband.

Since then, they've split up and she's moved into a B&B.

There's no way I can pay it.

The only way that this could be paid, is if they kick my husband

and his daughter out of the house, sell the house and take the money.

I just really can't see any other way out.

Gloria is not alone.

Good morning, how may I help?

The majority of riders aren't insured.

With accidents and claims increasingly common,

both pedestrians and scooter users are vulnerable.

I'll give you a call back when I've got all the information.

So you shot forward and accidently went into a lady?

I can understand that.

It's all right. Don't get upset about it, all right.

Everybody has accidents. OK?

Here's a selection of the largest claims that we've paid out

in recent times and you can see, just on this spreadsheet alone,

there's over 30 people with claims well above £10,000.

The largest claim was £102,000 on a single incident.

This was collision between a mobility scooter and a pedestrian.

We had another one of £83,000 where our customer ran over

a lady on the pavement.

Then there is a scooter that pulled in to the pathway of a car.

This form of insurance should be made compulsory.

The public need protection and certainly

the users of scooters need protection.

On the pavements, pedestrians are a common victim of rogue scooters

but on the roads,

scooter drivers are the ones in a more precarious position.

So you were driving along on your scooter and then what happened?

Not hurt, that's the main thing, isn't it?

This is the worst one I remember. The lorry was reversing,

and the motor traffic was all waiting

but he just undercut all the traffic and went under the wheel.

That was a driver error.

I personally think they should have a test to go on the road

as car drivers being responsible, and it's not just themselves.

It's causing accidents for others.

That could have been very different, you know, for other people.

So, I personally think they should have some kind of test.

With scooters using the roads, there are collisions that people

don't walk away from.

The police don't routinely collect figures,

but back in 2004, at least eight scooter riders died.

A man driving a mobility scooter has died

after suffering multiple injuries in a crash with a bus.

This is in Burton-on-Trent, which is not far from where I live.

There's an inquest open

on the mobility scooter death of someone in Oxford.

An OAP who collided with a reversing car

while driving on a mobility scooter and this is recent.

There's no end of them.

It's just so upsetting how many deaths there is.

Coroners investigating the deaths have asked

the Department for Transport to look into extra legislation.

Caren's been forwarded the Secretary of State's response.

"We have no immediate plans to make this mandatory

"because we lack comprehensive evidence

"that the use of a mobility scooter vehicle as a whole

"is a major public safety concern."

They just don't see what's going on in front of their own eyes.

They think I have sent my petition in and nobody is listening

and I've put all that work into it and people have took the time out

to write private letters to me and it's just completely being ignored.

It makes me really angry.

People always say, they'll listen when someone dies,

but someone has died.

There needs to be a change in the law.

In Pinxton, Peter is still unsure about joining the scooter brigade.

In a scooter, it's a privilege to mix with the pedestrians,

so you shouldn't try to run them over or run into them.

I'll be ignorant to it but I've seen it. I've seen it.

You get some people who I call totally ignorant.

They have a right to be on pavement.

They have a right to be on the pavement, a right

to say, "Step aside whilst I get past," you know.

No, you haven't.

You have a right to walk like everyone else, but you can't,

so you're on a buggy, so you take your time.

I don't think these big ones should be on the pavement anyway.

They're made for the road, they should stop on the road.

It's like asking me to put my car on the pavement.

Because they are big, aren't they?

You've only got to give them a bit of a squirt,

they could be into somebody.

If he is going to buy one, Peter doesn't want to make

the same mistakes as some of his fellow riders...

..so he's signed up for the safe driving course.

You've got high and low here,

because this is a class three machine with 8mph and 4mph.

When you press them, it goes to maximum that you set here and here.

-How long have you had yours?

-A year.

I've been on a golf buggy but that's totally different.

Do you know what this thing reminds me of? My stair lift!

Peter might not want to admit it,

but after a few hours in the driving seat,

him and his scooter seem like a good match.

-BEEPING

-Turn it the other way now.

Well, there's a thing.

Well...

BEEPING

Thank you. Switch if off.

With the new benefits changes coming in,

Hazel's been forced to justify why she needs a scooter.

Her carers have written a letter in her support.

But it's also revealed, for the first time, just how ill she is.

"If Hazel goes out, she needs her mobility scooter.

"Her walking distance is approximately ten yards very slowly.

"Hazel is now receiving palliative care aimed at maintaining

"her current quality of life."

God, I'm on palliative care - I know what that means.

There's nothing more they can do for me, it's sort of end-of-life care.

Scary. I wish I hadn't have got to know.

I think it's knocked the stuffing out of me, you know.

You are looking at outside, it's a lovely day,

people are milling about, you know,

and you just think, "God, I might not be here." It just suddenly hits you.

Across town, Emily is having second thoughts about her scooter.

In eight months, I've basically put on two-and-a-half stone

for not walking around, it's a nightmare.

And the thing is, when I was younger,

before being diagnosed, I used to go out walking a lot.

It's what I did, but I can't do it any more.

That's another example.

You get somebody a lot older than me that can walk perfectly well.

I should be doing that.

It's like the shoe is on the other foot, if you know what I mean.

SHE LAUGHS

I know I giggle a lot and I laugh

but a lot of it is nervous laugh, but underneath I'm dying.

Inside, I just think, "Oh, for goodness' sake!"

I view scooter users to be in their 60s and upwards.

I'm too young for it, I really am too young for it.

It's Ben! Hello! You all right? You had a good day?

Thank you.

Although Emily is unlikely to give up her scooter,

she's resolved to get back on her feet more.

The first step is a daily regime of once round the block.

I'm seeing a physiotherapist and he's trying to get me

so I'm more independent with my walking.

I always said, the day my legs give up on me

is the day I give up on them.

I've always kept that. I'm not giving up on them just yet.

I'm not, I'm determined.

Despite his many reservations, Peter is taking the plunge.

He's decided to stay away from potentially dangerous roads

by opting for a pavement-only model.

I've got to respect everyone else around me

so it's going to be difficult.

Well, not difficult, it's something you've got to get used to.

OK, then. Cheers.

It's taken a lot to get to this stage, quite honestly.

I knew it would come to this eventually.

Absolutely wonderful. It does make a difference.

After you've walked that far, you would be getting short of breath.

It's nice and easy to get round.

I'll have trouble keeping up with him now.

It'll be drive me here, set it up, and bye-bye.

Is she still with me?

Peter may be happy,

but the scooter has brought Kathryn some independence too.

It's going to be wonderful this is.

I can do what I want to do.

I can look at the home furnishings while he looks at the boring stuff.

Excuse me. Garden lawn edging?

Like duck to water.

No effort, because I'm not walking, am I?

Wonderful.

# Dream

# Dream, dream, dream

# Dream

# Dream, dream, dream... #

Whitley Bay on the north-east coast.

I'll just sneak a chip.

Beautiful.

It's a rare day out for 58-year-old Hazel and her sister Maggie.

Getting away, you know, today, I'm absolutely loving it.

You just forget everything because you are having such a lovely time.

It's been a big change, Mag, because we don't go anywhere together,

-do we?

-No, not really.

I do know I'm very ill, I just know I'm very ill.

I don't know if I'm going to wake up tomorrow, the next day,

the week after.

I don't know, you can't say.

With every day precious,

Hazel's come to seek out a magical place on the scooter map.

I'm looking for a scooter.

It's better than paying out for taxis, isn't it?

Whitley Bay Hire Shop customises mobility scooters

into a wide range of vehicles.

Is this eight mile? Is it?

I think I need a bit of WD40 on it!

With the Jeep back in the workshop for essential repairs...

Reeoow!

..Hazel opts for the low rider.

It's me Harley Davidson, this! Isn't it lovely?

You do think sometimes, you've been dealt an unfair hand

but then again, you just think some people are worse off than you.

And they are.

Some people don't live until they're 30, 20.

I've had nearly 60 years.

But I just love life.

Yeah, I do.

Without a scooter, Hazel and thousands like her,

would never get the opportunity to live their later years to the full.

There may be problems, but while that holds true,

the mobility scooter revolution will just keep gathering speed.

# Bring me sunshine

# In your smile

# Bring me laughter

# All the while

# In this world where we live

# There should be more happiness

# So much joy you can give

# To each brand-new, bright tomorrow

# Make me happy... #