Characteristics of Emerging Road and Trail Users and Their Safety

Assistive Powered Scooters

Assistive powered scooters are three- or four-wheel devices designed to provide mobility for individuals with limited endurance for walking or using a manual wheelchair (figure 10). These scooters have a tiller for steering and a comfortable seat, usually with a back and armrests. Standup two-wheel scooters used for recreation and transportation by primarily nondisabled users were described earlier in this report and are not included in this user group.

Figure 10. Assistive powered scooter.

These devices typically have a longer wheelbase than a power wheelchair, and are less expensive (costs are approximately comparable to lightweight manual wheelchairs). Power scooters rely on multiple batteries and can weigh up to 90 kg (200 pounds). Braking is provided via disk brakes or by a regenerative braking system utilizing the scooter's motor. Transportation of the scooter requires partially disassembling the scooter (to fit it into a station wagon) or the use of a van or trunk-mounted lift. The tiller steering mechanism requires the user to physically turn the steering handle left and right to turn the vehicle. This requires substantially more strength and range of motion than the typical joystick control provided on powered wheelchairs.