You’re more likely to die on the roads in this type of vehicle – and the West Midlands is the black spot

Alarming new figures have identified the West Midlands as the UK’s scooter crash death black spot. In 2022, the most recent year for which data was available, nine scooter users were killed in the UK – including two in the West Midlands.

A rise in serious accidents has prompted calls for mandatory driving test-style training for mobility scooter users. The figures showed that 270 scooter riders were injured across the country in 2022, with 27 fatalities in the West Midlands.

Alarmingly, figures have shown that over the past decade, mobility scooter casualties have increased by an average of 20% year-on-year. The data, published by Surewise, found mObility scooter riders were more than two and a half times more likely to die in a road crash compared to other road users.

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Of course, a leading insurance intermediary for mobility scooters, launched a “Safer Mobility” campaign. to inform users of mobility scooters about the risks they face when traveling on or near roads – and to raise awareness of their vulnerability with all road users. New mobility scooter riders are not legally required to undergo any form of training before using their vehicle in public.

Analysis of DfT data found there were 27 casualties and two deaths involving scooter riders in the West Midlands in 2022. There were 19 incidents in Merseyside, the second highest region.

Richard Hannan, director at Surewise, said: “We were horrified to find that disabled scooter riders are more than two and a half times more likely to die in a road crash than other road users. And unfortunately the problem only seems to be getting worryingly worse, casualty data shows a steady increase in casualties year on year and our claims team takes regular calls from distressed customers who have been injured by collisions.

“Mobility scooter users are very vulnerable, particularly when traveling on roads, and unlike cars and other vehicles, the driver has little protection in the event of an accident. Our Safer Mobility campaign is dedicated to raising awareness, advocating for improved safety measures. and providing resources and support to enhance the safety of mobility scooter users on our roads.”

Surewise has produced a free safety guide for mobility scooters and offers a free sticker pack to make mobility scooters more visible. The free guide and sticker pack can be requested here.