Editorial: Users should be required to take basic test

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 tragic death of Katikati identity Shirley O'Connor this week raises questions about whether more stringent rules are needed for the use of mobility scooters.

Mrs O'Connor, 88, was critically injured after her scooter hit the side of a truck in Katikati's main street on Monday and she was flung underneath it. She died in Tauranga Hospital on Wednesday.

Police are investigating the circumstances surrounding the crash.

However, according the the driver of the truck, Mrs O'Connor, who had been waiting to cross the road, accelerated unexpectedly just before she hit the side of his vehicle.

We also know from friends and family that she had only had the scooter for a few months and was having trouble adjusting to using it.

Mrs O'Connor was active in her community.

She was involved in a range of groups and was known for her personality and sense of humour.

Joyce Walker, of the Katikati Blind and Partially Sighted Support Group, of which Mrs O'Connor was a member, told the Bay of Plenty Times she immediately thought of Mrs O'Connor when she read about the crash because she had noticed her friend having problems "navigating it (the mobility scooter) a couple of times".

Mrs O'Connor's niece, Liz Sayers, said her aunt had a few teething problems and found it difficult to adjust to the mobility scooter.

It 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.

An elderly woman also died in Waihi in 2008 after being hit by a car on her mobility scooter.

There are some rules that govern the use of mobility scooters, including operating them in a careful manner and keeping to the footpath wherever possible.

However, you do not need a driver's licence to operate one and they are not required to have a warrant of fitness or a registration.

After Mrs O'Connor's death, questions were raised about whether this should change.

Age Concern Tauranga president Deborah Jager says part of the problem is there are so many different types of mobility scooters on the market and different levels of experience.

Some riders, she says, do not fully appreciate risks.

Tauranga City Council and Western Bay District Council's Travel Safe programme team leader Karen Smith says there is a considerable amount of mobility scooter tuition going on around the district, with "footpath usage" workshops taking place at least twice a year, but is it education enough to make riders safe?

I think more needs to be done. A basic test should be carried out to ensure users, who are often elderly or suffer from health problems, can operate the machines properly and do not put themselves or others in danger.

The test should be free so as not to penalise those on fixed incomes.

Great care would also need to be taken to ensure that the test was not so restrictive as to markedly increase the likelihood of people becoming isolated.

A balance needs to be struck between encouraging people to maintain their independence and ensuring they are safe.