All posts by Quingo Scooters

Wellbeing

Mobility Scooters and the Highway Code – Part 2

In the second part of a two-part series on the Highway Code and mobility scooters, Quingo take a closer look at what the Highway Code says about driving on the road.

In our last blogpost we talked about the difference between Class 2 and Class 3 vehicles as well as driving your Quingo on pavements.

Mobility scooters and the Highway Code: Driving on roads

When driving on the road the Highway Code states that Class 3 vehicles should drive in the direction of the traffic, whilst Class 2 users should always use the pavement in situations where it’s possible. If you’re travelling at night, lights must be used and you should travel in the direction of the traffic so as not to confuse other road users.

Quingo Scooters
Quingo user driving on the road

It’s important to remember that you must follow the same rules about using lights, horns and indicators that apply to cars and other vehicles on the road.

You should be aware that other road users may not be able to see you as scooters are less visible than cars. For instance, you should ensure that you’re as visible as possible. You could do this, for example, by wearing a reflective jacket when driving your Quingo.

Dealing with junctions safely

You should take greater care at road junctions. The Highway Code points out that when you’re driving straight ahead, you should check to see that there are no vehicles about to cross your path from either the left or right, or overtaking you and turning left at the approaching junction.

There are a number of ways you can deal with right turns, particularly when turning from a major road. If you encounter a situation where moving into the middle of the road can be potentially awkward or dangerous, you can stop on the left-hand side of the road and patiently wait for a safe gap in the traffic.

Alternatively, you could negotiate the turn as a pedestrian by, for example, travelling along the pavement and crossing the road between the pavements where it’s safe for you to do so.

If the junction you want to navigate is too hazardous, you might wish to consider using another route for your journey. It may be safer for you to use the pavement for example. However, if you’re driving a Class 3 vehicle on the pavement you must remember to reduce your speed to no more than 4mph.

Parking your Quingo

As far as parking your Quingo goes, the Highway Code states that “all normal parking restrictions should be observed.”

Your Quingo 5 wheel scooter shouldn’t be left unattended in a place where it can cause an obstruction to other pedestrians – especially those in wheelchairs.

It’s worth noting that under the Blue Badge scheme, all vehicles that display a valid Blue Badge can benefit from parking concessions.

Wellbeing

Mobility Scooters and the Highway Code – Part 1

Our customers’ safety and welfare is our main priority. In the first blog post of two parts, the Quingo team want to look at the Highway Code and what it has to say surrounding mobility scooters.

What is the Highway Code?

The Highway Code is a compendium of advice, information, guides and mandatory rules for all road users in the UK. Its main purpose is to promote safety on the roads.

The Highway Code applies to pedestrians, animals, cyclists, motorcycles, drivers and mobility scooter users. It’s prepared and updated by the Department for Transport and the Driving Standards Agency.

First published in 1931 as an 18-page booklet, the Highway Code has been regularly updated ever since to reflect the changing nature of Britain’s roads.

The difference between Class 2 and Class 3 vehicles

The Highway Code places mobility scooters into two separate categories: Class 2 and Class 3. Class 2 vehicles can’t go any faster than 4mph and are designed to be used on pavements.

Examples of Class 2 vehicles include the Quingo Classic, the Quingo Flyte, the Quingo Compact and the Quingo Air. Class 2 users should always use the pavement where it’s available. Where there is no pavement, due caution should always be taken.

Class 3 vehicles include the Quingo Plus, the Quingo Vitess and the Quingo Toura. These scooters have a maximum speed of 8mph and are equipped to be used on the road as well as the pavement. This topic is also included in the FAQs section of this website.

Mobility scooters and the Highway Code: Driving on pavements

When driving your scooter, you should be aware that pavements are safer than roads and they should be used when available. The Highway Code also observes that you should give pedestrians priority and show consideration of other pavement users.

Quingo Scooters
A Quingo scooter user on the pavement

If your Quingo 5 wheel scooter can go faster than 4mph, it’s important to remember that you mustn’t go any faster than this speed in pedestrian areas or on pavements. You might have to reduce your speed to adjust to other pavement users who might not be able to get out of your way quickly enough, or in situations where the pavement’s too narrow.

Special care should be taken when moving off the pavement onto to road. You should always look around and make sure it’s safe to join the traffic. When driving back onto the pavement, you shouldn’t try and negotiate a kerb that’s higher than the specifications outlined in your Quingo’s individual handbook & service manual.

Safety and mobility

Your safety when driving your Quingo is our main priority. That’s why we recommend to all of our customers to regularly refer to the Highway Code – the number one resource for road safety.

Keep a lookout for our next blog post in which we’ll be talking about what you need to consider when driving your Quingo on the roads.

Wellbeing

Useful tips for driving your Quingo scooter

Today, the Quingo team wants to give you a few points to bear in mind when driving your scooter, which will help you have the best possible experience, whilst retaining maximum levels of security and comfort.

Quingo Scooters
The Quingo team share some useful tips on driving your Quingo

 

What you need to know before driving your Quingo

Before purchasing your Quingo, an advisor will have talked you through everything you need to know to ensure you have the safest and most enjoyable experience.

Here’s an outline of some of the key points to consider:

  1. Before driving your Quingo, make sure you get comfortable. Remember – you should always place your feet on the footplates.
  2. At this point, you can switch your Quingo on and check to see if the battery level indicator is in the green area. If not, you should charge your Quingo. We’ve written a useful guide to charging your Quingo’s batteries on this blog.
  3. Pull in your right hand accelerator lever slowly for your vehicle to move off. The more you pull the lever, the faster your Quingo will go. As you get more accustomed to the lever’s functionality, you can increase the speed.
  4. To brake, release the lever. If you become unsure or if you feel unsafe then release the lever.
  5. When turning, slow down and look in the direction you wish to travel. If you come up to a blind corner you should sound your horn.
  6. If you’re taking any new medication it’s very important that you check with your doctor or physician that your ability to drive your Quingo won’t be affected.
  7. To get off your Quingo, make sure that you’ve stopped safely on a flat area. Remember to turn off the ignition and remove the key before getting off.

Maximum safety and comfort on your travels

We want you to have as safe and enjoyable experience as possible on your journeys; following these points will help you get the most out your Quingo 5 wheel scooter. This information can also be found in your Quingo’s handbook & service manual.

To read the Highway Code regarding mobility scooters you can visit gov.uk to find out more about the rules governing driving mobility scooters both on the road and on pavements.

News

Companies promise to act after BBC’s disabled access exposé

The Quingo team recently read that some large UK firms have undertaken urgent measures to improve their services for people with disabilities. The news follows a BBC London investigation that exposed several failures in this area.

Taking measures to improve accessibility

As part of the investigation, a blind person and a wheelchair user wore secret cameras to document cafes without ramps, minicab drivers that refused to accept guide dogs and train station staff not present when assistance was required. More than 100 restaurants are now being audited for their accessibility. The news comes after the government ordered the companies to explain their failings.

Quingo Scooters

Last autumn, researchers from the BBC found unusable tables or inadequate or missing ramps at branches of Costa Coffee, Itsu, Eat, Chipotle, Caffé Nero, Caffé Concerto and the Post Office.

Mark Harper MP, Minister for Disabled People, singled out the response from restaurant chain Eat as being particularly worthy of praise. The chain has put in place new training and all of its 113 UK stores have been audited to ensure they’re accessible.

What action has been taken?

Sarah Doyle, Eat’s brand director, said: “We were mortified. Therefore when we saw that footage we took it very seriously and undertook to investigate. We’ve asked all our shop teams to check the equipment is there and we have put in place replacement equipment if it was required.”

Itsu acknowledged improvements to staff training and accessibility needed to be made. They said that an external accessibility firm would be employed to ensure that the necessary changes were put in place to cater for a wider range of customers including mobility scooter users.

Caffé Concerto said that it was changing some of its branches having realised that they weren’t sufficiently accessible, whilst Costa Coffee said that the ramp problems highlighted by the BBC’s investigation have been fixed.

Finding adequate solutions

Southeastern Rail also expressed concern with the issues uncovered by the BBC, saying that the relevant station managers had been informed of the need for change.

Organisations are obliged by law to take all necessary steps so as to comply with the Equality Act. As a result of this investigation, it seems that tangible progress is being made.

These positive changes will no doubt be welcomed by Quingo Scooter users. Large companies in particular should have the resources and budget to ensure their stores are sufficiently accessible.

What we can expect in the future

At Quingo, mobility and accessibility are priorities for us. We believe it’s crucially important that those with limited mobility have access to the same services as anyone else. As such, we welcome the efforts taken by many of the companies highlighted in the BBC’s investigation.

About Quingo

The Quingo Scooter range features six models to suit your needs and budget. New models are now available from just £22/week on our new contract hire scheme which includes all servicing and maintenance, Insurance, Roadside Recovery, Call Outs and Consumables including Batteries and Tyres. For more information on this or the latest Quingo Scooter range, please visit our website. Alternatively, if you have any Service questions you can always contact us or call customer services on 01582 430 900.

Keep up to date with the latest mobility scooter advice, tips and interesting places to visit on the Quingo Scooter Users Blog. Connect with Quingo and keep up to date with all our latest news on Facebook, twitter and LinkedIn.

All Quingo Personal Mobility Vehicles are provided by Forever Active, the UK’s exclusive distributor. Forever Active is a trading name of Advantage Marketing Corporation Limited (AMC).  AMC Limited is an appointed representative of First Senior Insurance Services Ltd which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. First Senior Insurance Services FSA Register number is 308478.