Eight people died after crashes involving mobility scooters last year
EIGHT people died after crashes involving mobility scooters last year, shock figures show.
Drivers of the electric-powered buggies had a record 300 accidents which resulted in injuries.
The toll is up 59 per cent on 2020, when the tally dipped due to Covid lockdowns.
Department of Transport statistics show that in addition to the eight deaths, 86 other accidents in Britain left people seriously hurt.
There have been cases where mobility scooter drivers have injured or killed pedestrians.
An increase in their popularity with pensioners led to the sharp rise in smashes.
There are now thought to be more than 300,000 of them on the nation’s streets, with Britain dubbed the mobility scooter capital of Europe.
Richard Jones, 78, of Prestatyn, North Wales, died in August when he lost control of his scooter and plunged eight feet over a seafront wall before his buggy landed on him.
In June, Derek McGlone, 69, died in hospital after his mobility scooter collided with a van in an accident near Doncaster.
In August, police in Weston- Super-Mare, Somerset, appealed for witnesses after a three-year-old boy was knocked down by a elderly mobility scooter driver who failed to stop.
The toddler needed hospital treatment.
A Department of Transport spokesman said: “Riders are encouraged to carry out training at the time of purchase and must comply with road safety laws at all times.”