Tenuous motoring connection, but it does involve 4 wheels and an engine! Two observations re. electric wheelchairs.
1. A few weeks ago I was witness when a gentleman somewhat the worse for drink created havoc in a local Tesco. He ran into a queue at the checkout, causing bruising to a man's leg, and afterwards collided with the customer service desk, before leaving the store.
2. Over the past few days I've noticed a local gentleman driving past on the pavement in his electric wheelchair. However, he seems to have had it race-tuned- it screams(literally)along the pavement at speeds of up to 15mph - (we're talking scarf trailing in the wind of passage like Snoopy in his WW1 Camel!)
Is there a legal speed limit for these wheelchairs? The gent would probably break bones if he hit anyone,and he doesn't slow down before crossing side roads, either!
P.
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Though I have all sympathy for folk in wheelchairs, I often get the impression that their thoughts are:
"I've had my share of bad luck - so now I'll be as reckless as I like".
There's a chap lives near me, who I often see wheeling/weaving himself down the road, plastered, late at night. No lights/reflectors etc on the chair, going WITH the traffic...
There's also one old biddy, in a disabled-badge car, who screams along at top speed all day, disregarding silly things like stop signs, red lights, roundabouts etc.
Strange.
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According to me Mum, quite a few old people buy scooters in preference to cars. They are much cheaper to run (no road tax, no insurance, cheap fuel), and for short local journeys they do the job having a typical range of 25 miles. Many only do 4 mph though some can do at least 8mph. At £2.5K+ they are relatively affordable. Of course for some people a scooter is the only way they can get about having lost the ability to walk.
The old gent you refer to sounds like a menace.
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Last year in Salisbury I had to jump (and I mean jump) out the way of an old girl barrelling along the pavement in one of those. I suppose they've got to be fast enough to be useful transport on the road, but this is obviously nuts on a city pavement. Re: D&D, I suppose there must be an offence similar to drunk in charge of a bycicle?
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I always thought that as long as they do "walking speed" (4mph) you didn't need any sort of licence, tax etc. Over that you do AKA milk floats.
Bill
PS, In my more perverse moments I always wonder what you could get out of one with say a Hayabusa engine ;-)
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Most have a two position switch; pavement & road.(4/8 mph.)
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I don't think I'm allowed Toad-san (Supra twin turbo) on the pavement!
Tomo
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The one at the top of this page seems to be the Ferrari of wheelchairs. Note superbike-style slanted headlights, headrest to protect against whiplash injuries, and the neat little chrome bullbar for knocking pedestrians out of the way. 11 mph may not sound much, but I wouldn't want to meet one of these on a crowded pavement at that speed.
www.para-plus.ca/4wheels.htm
Richard Hall
bangernomics.tripod.com
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