Death sparks call for scooter licence

Katikati identity Shirley O'Connor has died after her mobility scooter hit a truck while crossing the main road in the township on Monday afternoon. Photo / Supplied

The death of a mobility scooter rider critically injured after colliding with a truck in Katikati township has sparked a call for riders to be licensed or for a warrant of fitness test to be introduced.

Shirley Vivian O'Connor, 88, was injured after her scooter hit the side of a truck in Katikati's main street at 12.46pm on Monday as it headed to Tauranga, and she was flung underneath it. She died in Tauranga Hospital yesterday.

The truck driver told the Bay of Plenty Times on the day of the crash Mrs O'Connor, who had been waiting to cross the road, accelerated unexpectedly.

Head of Western Bay road policing Senior Sergeant Ian Campion said inquiries into the circumstances surrounding the crash were continuing.

Her death has sparked a call for riders to be licensed and for a warrant of fitness scheme to be introduced for mobility scooters.

This is the fifth mobility scooter accident in the district in six years. In 2008 an 87-year-old man died after he was crushed under the wheels of a truck in Mount Maunganui.

Age Concern Tauranga president Deborah Jager said Mrs O'Connor's accident was concerning given the amount of mobility scooter training around the district. "I do think it is time to consider whether there should be more educational guidelines or some form of warrant of fitness test because there are so many different types out there and different levels of experience. I think the safety risks are not always fully appreciated."

Mrs Jager said there also needed to be some discussion about the need for owners to wear helmets as cyclists and four-wheel motorbike riders were required to do.

Mr Campion declined to comment, given the crash investigation was not completed.

Tauranga City Council and Western Bay District Council's Travel Safe programme team leader Karen Smith said there was a considerable amount of mobility scooter tuition going on around the district, with "footpath usage" workshops taking place at least twice a year.

Five workshops were held in March and five in October-November, and there were a number of "footpath usage" clubs around the district.

That included education on the safest place to cross roads. Every trainee received an orange flag and a fluorescent cover for the basket of their scooter so they would be highly visible to pedestrians and road users.

Ms Smith said Travel Safe, which works in partnership with Age Concern and other road safety agencies, had lobbied the Transport Agency for more funding because of the "emerging issue" concern that not everyone using mobility scooters had received tuition.

The crash has renewed calls to investigate a heavy vehicle bypass for Katikati.

Brendan Gibbs, Katikati Volunteer Fire Brigade station officer, said crossing that stretch of road was "diabolical" because it was a busy thoroughfare for trucks.

Anyone who witnessed the crash and has not yet been spoken to by police is urged to call Senior Constable Hills at Tauranga police station on 577 4300.

Friends described Mrs O'Connor as a bubbly, outgoing person with a "wicked" sense of humour. Her niece Liz Sayers said the family did not wish to comment further.