Safety Message at Mobility Scooter Workshop

Dunedin (Monday, 14 October 2013) – Mobility scooter safety will be in the spotlight at a workshop in Mosgiel next week.

Dunedin City Council Community Advisor Road Safety Deborah Palmer says with the city’s ageing population, and elderly people seeking to retain their independence, an increasing number of people are using mobility scooters.

A Mobility Safe workshop is being held from 1pm to 3.30pm on Wednesday, 23 October at the RSA in Church Street, Mosgiel. The workshop is for mobility scooter owners and users, and for those interested in mobility scooters and their use.

The free workshop has been organised by the Safer Journeys roading partners – the DCC, the NZ Transport Agency and Police – in conjunction with Age Concern Otago and Mobility Scooters Otago. The Fire Service will also attend.

The purpose of the workshop is to ensure users know the safety issues and rules around mobility scooters.

“We want to make sure everyone is safe. If we are all courteous and share the road and footpath and consider others we should avoid any unnecessary conflict.”

At the workshop, people will discuss safety, rules and regulations, including looking at the Transport Agency’s “Keeping Mobile” booklet, which gives information on the legality of scooters on roads or footpaths, as well as tips on safe use and sharing spaces with other users.

Mrs Palmer says there will also be an opportunity to discuss issues that concern mobility scooter users in the Mosgiel area.

There will be spot prizes of high visibility safety vests to encourage scooter users to wear these.

“We want this to be a fun day where people can come along to gain some information that will help with safety.”

Mrs Palmer says 10 elderly people have been killed and 19 seriously injured in mobility scooter crashes in New Zealand in the past five years.
“It is up to all of us, whether we are pedestrians, motorists or mobility scooter users, to play our part to ensure that figure is not repeated in the next five years.”

A similar workshop held in Mosgiel last year was attended by about 60 scooter users.

ends

© Scoop Media

Gordon Campbell:
On What John Banks And Nick Smith Have In Common

The defence that John Banks has been offering to the charges of electoral fraud – that he didn’t read the document he signed, and therefore lacked the necessary criminal intent – is a fairly standard example of political business as usual.

At a time when political power is being centralised downtown in the Executive, responsibility is being re-located to the suburbs. The Beehive seeks to operate as a blame free, shame free environment. At all times, plausible deniability is to be maintained.

Being able to put distance between the Minister and the actions/outcomes/political fallout of policy is not simply the last desperate resort of scoundrels, but the first resort of the foot soldiers in ministerial service... More>>