Motorised wheelchairs
Author
Discussion

markh508

Original Poster:

80 posts

264 months

Wednesday 23rd March 2005
quotequote all
From the BBC:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/4371431.stm

BBC said:
"Hell's grannies" is the nickname given to the worst users of the machines, which are driven by 100,000 Britons.

Last year, seven motorised wheelchair users died in crashes and 402 were involved "adverse" incidents, according to government figures."


So there were 7 deaths per 100,000 motorised wheelchair last year. Comparing that to car users where there's about 3,500 deaths per year and I'm guessing about 35M license holders, that comes out as 10 deaths per 100,000.

But because cars are multi-occupancy more than one person could die per fatal crash. Therefore it could be that there are more fatal accidents per 100,000 motorised wheelchair users than per 100,000 car drivers per year. Yet these things are supposed to be limited to 8mph, hmmm....

bga

8,134 posts

280 months

Wednesday 23rd March 2005
quotequote all
My brother was arrested for "joyriding" in one of those things.
He borrowed it off a guy he knew & was nobbled for driving around the town like a twit

planetdave

9,922 posts

282 months

Wednesday 23rd March 2005
quotequote all
Considering that these death traps have no crumple zones and are driven by those unfit to pilot a proper vehicle I'm surprised that there is not a higher mortality rate.


The driving temp agency I used to work for had a 2%/annum mortality rate. Now THAT'S scary.

dds1

1,407 posts

287 months

Wednesday 23rd March 2005
quotequote all
they would be lot more stable with a proper trackday setup. would recommend increasing the camber on the rears, then 8mph cornering wouldn't be such a problem

FourWheelDrift

92,237 posts

313 months

Wednesday 23rd March 2005
quotequote all
8mph - Speed Kills.

Plus they go too slow to ever trigger a speed camera so no potential for revenue, they will try to ban them by scaring people into not using them. What next prams?

Cynical......moi?

Witchfinder

6,387 posts

281 months

Wednesday 23rd March 2005
quotequote all
I couldn't help laughing myself sick at the one who reversed her wheelchair off a pier and into the sea. I know it's not funny for the family, but it just creased me up.

Ribol

11,991 posts

287 months

Wednesday 23rd March 2005
quotequote all
bga said:
My brother was arrested for "joyriding" in one of those things.
He borrowed it off a guy he knew & was nobbled for driving around the town like a twit




off_again

13,917 posts

263 months

Wednesday 23rd March 2005
quotequote all
Since the government likes to work out casualty statistics in raw numbers, its plain to see that Motorised wheelchairs are more dangerous than cars....

But other motorist pressure groups like to use the millions of miles travelled measure. This is a better guide to the real dangerousness of roads since it clearly illustrates the distances travelled and the danger it represents.

So, since these things are restricted to 8MPH have a charge that is measured in minutes - I wonder what their casualties per million miles travelled is? Shockingly bad and worse that just about everything else I imagine.....

So, ban the lot - they are obviously dangerous and need to be banned, oh and put a speed limiter on them - speed kills you know...

JagLover

46,737 posts

264 months

Wednesday 23rd March 2005
quotequote all
There seems to be alot of multiple threads lately that are not closed down.

FourWheelDrift

92,237 posts

313 months

Wednesday 23rd March 2005
quotequote all
JagLover said:
There seems to be alot of multiple threads lately that are not closed down.


Can you give the link of the duplicate thread to this one?

Don

28,378 posts

313 months

Wednesday 23rd March 2005
quotequote all
They clearly need more regulation....if the nut driving his in the middle of the road with no lights, reflectors and anything in the total pitch black night near my house is anything to go by.

Incorrigible

13,668 posts

290 months

Wednesday 23rd March 2005
quotequote all
Don said:
They clearly need more regulation....if the ct driving his in the middle of the road with no lights, reflectors and anything in the total pitch black night near my house is anything to go by.
Sorry about that, I was pissed

JagLover

46,737 posts

264 months

Wednesday 23rd March 2005
quotequote all
FourWheelDrift said:

JagLover said:
There seems to be alot of multiple threads lately that are not closed down.



Can you give the link of the duplicate thread to this one?


There is not one but two previous threads on this-don't know how to post a link.

Pie & Piston Page 4 that leaving the country thread and Hells Grannies

off_again

13,917 posts

263 months

Wednesday 23rd March 2005
quotequote all
Don said:
They clearly need more regulation....if the nut driving his in the middle of the road with no lights, reflectors and anything in the total pitch black night near my house is anything to go by.


Hey dont knock it - where i used to live, there was a woman who insisted on driving her buggy in the middle of the road, day in day out.....

Including rush hour!

...and she, well had a small, drink problem. Constantly getting repremanded by the local BiB, but they didnt do anything about it. Bloody liability with a death wish if you ask me.

FourWheelDrift

92,237 posts

313 months

Wednesday 23rd March 2005
quotequote all
JagLover said:

Pie & Piston Page 4 that leaving the country thread....


Cryptic titles don't help sometimes.

planetdave

9,922 posts

282 months

Wednesday 23rd March 2005
quotequote all
I'm the Nabob of the purple