Car crossing footpath v mobility scooter?

Forums › Transport (cars, bikes and boats) › Car crossing footpath v mobility scooter?

Gordy7

531 posts

Ultimate Geek
+1 received by user: 50

Lifetime subscriber

Topic # 230700 9-Mar-2018 11:21

I was exiting my house via my 6 metre sliding gate....

Checked for pedestrians.... all ok.

As I was crossing the footpath a mobility scooter came zooming up from my left.

The scooter stopped ok.

Who has the right of way?

Gordy

1 | 2 | 3

1417 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 315

Subscriber

Reply # 1971716 9-Mar-2018 11:24

I suspect the scooter does.

Life is too short to remove USB safely.

Behodar

6187 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 1014

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

Reply # 1971718 9-Mar-2018 11:25

2 people support this post

I believe that pedestrians have right of way on the footpath, and I suspect that scooters are classified as pedestrians in this case.

With that said, scooters shouldn't be charging around at full speed when there are moving cars nearby; that's just common sense.

Gordy7

531 posts

Ultimate Geek
+1 received by user: 50

Lifetime subscriber

Reply # 1971736 9-Mar-2018 12:02

Just came across an item on Stuff:

https://www.stuff.co.nz/waikato-times/opinion/75952113/mind-that-mobility-scooter

A couple of extracts:

When these machines first appeared a few years ago now, they were little more than wheelchairs for the disabled or elderly people with a little electric motor for ease of travel. They got along the footpath at a sedate walking pace...

These things can now hurtle along the footpath at a pace even an Olympic walking champion could not maintain for long. To make matters worse, they are as silent as an attacking great white shark; by the time their presence is felt, it is too late to take evasive action.

Gordy

wellygary

3066 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 739

Reply # 1971737 9-Mar-2018 12:02

One person supports this post

Behodar:

I believe that pedestrians have right of way on the footpath, and I suspect that scooters are classified as pedestrians in this case.

With that said, scooters shouldn't be charging around at full speed when there are moving cars nearby; that's just common sense.

Its more than common sense, its the law

2004/427 Land Transport (Road User) Rule 2004 Part 11 cl 11.4

"A driver of a mobility device or wheeled recreational device on a footpath—

(a) must operate the device in a careful and considerate manner;

SepticSceptic

1716 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 338

Trusted

Reply # 1972019 9-Mar-2018 17:28

Surely the driver of the scooter would have seen your 6m gate open up ?

My thoughts are no longer my own and is probably representative of our media-controlled government

timmmay

13912 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 2470

Trusted

Subscriber

Reply # 1972025 9-Mar-2018 17:38

Pedestrians have right of way on a footpath. However, if they're travelling at high speed my opinion especially after a massive gate opens up is it's their risk.

AWS Certified Solution Architect Professional, Sysop Administrator Associate, and Developer Associate
TOGAF certified enterprise architect
Professional photographer

kiwifidget

1417 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 315

Subscriber

Reply # 1972026 9-Mar-2018 17:38

2 people support this post

Wouldn't most mobility scooter operators have diminished ocular acuity?

Life is too short to remove USB safely.

timmmay

13912 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 2470

Trusted

Subscriber

Reply # 1972028 9-Mar-2018 17:41

kiwifidget:

Wouldn't most mobility scooter operators have diminished ocular acuity?

Nope. Some are as a result of an accident or surgery that affects only a specific part of their body that makes mechanical assistance necessary.

For example, a 25 year old guy at work hurt his leg playing rugby, and is using a scooter to help him get around after surgery.

AWS Certified Solution Architect Professional, Sysop Administrator Associate, and Developer Associate
TOGAF certified enterprise architect
Professional photographer

kiwifidget

1417 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 315

Subscriber

Reply # 1972033 9-Mar-2018 17:51

most @timmmay, most. Obviously not all, but it seems reasonable that MOST mob-scooterers would be elderly.

Life is too short to remove USB safely.

Rikkitic

7341 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 3446

Subscriber

Reply # 1972042 9-Mar-2018 18:19

3 people support this post

the stronger look out for the weaker. what is the problem? i don't care who has 'right of way'. i care that i don't hurt someone. if i am in a car and someone is on a mobility scooter i am clearly the stronger party and i have the greater responsibility to look out.

I reject your reality and substitute my own. - Adam Savage

Gordy7

531 posts

Ultimate Geek
+1 received by user: 50

Lifetime subscriber

Reply # 1972095 9-Mar-2018 18:56

Rikkitic:

the stronger look out for the weaker. what is the problem? i don't care who has 'right of way'. i care that i don't hurt someone. if i am in a car and someone is on a mobility scooter i am clearly the stronger party and i have the greater responsibility to look out.

Yes, it is about caring that no one gets hurt....

Even though I had checked that nothing was on the footpath in the vicinity of the gate as I drove out, this instance caught me by surprise as the scooter was moving pretty fast.

Even though the big gate had just opened the scooter rider may not have seen it opening.

Gordy

richms

21121 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 4210

Trusted

Subscriber

Reply # 1972098 9-Mar-2018 18:59

One person supports this post

If you;re already pulling over it and they zoom along then they have to wait for you to finish. Its like intersections, you have to give way to people already in the intersection

Richard rich.ms

SheriffNZ

295 posts

Ultimate Geek
+1 received by user: 72

Reply # 1972099 9-Mar-2018 19:01

3 people support this post

Rikkitic:
the stronger look out for the weaker. what is the problem? i don't care who has 'right of way'. i care that i don't hurt someone. if i am in a car and someone is on a mobility scooter i am clearly the stronger party and i have the greater responsibility to look out.

Not to divert too far off topic, as a cyclist, it would be great if everyone thought as you do.

Batman

Mad Scientist
18436 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 2336

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

Reply # 1972108 9-Mar-2018 19:37

One person supports this post

Rikkitic:

the stronger look out for the weaker. what is the problem? i don't care who has 'right of way'. i care that i don't hurt someone. if i am in a car and someone is on a mobility scooter i am clearly the stronger party and i have the greater responsibility to look out.

I don't think society does nowadays. Every time there is an article in a news site or a post on social media about cyclists motorists vent out how they'd love to kill a few cyclists, and it's actually not funny!

timmmay

13912 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 2470

Trusted

Subscriber

Reply # 1972144 9-Mar-2018 20:53

An unpowered scooter can reach 25kph on flat ground, half the open vehicle road speed limit. It takes a bit of effort to get it there though. Hit something at that speed and you probably have a bit of a mess.

AWS Certified Solution Architect Professional, Sysop Administrator Associate, and Developer Associate
TOGAF certified enterprise architect
Professional photographer

1 | 2 | 3