Pensioners electric buggies

[Mrs Fish]

Pensioners' electric buggies are being blamed for a rise in the number of pedestrian injuries.

The Department for Transport has launched a review into the manufacture and registration of the vehicles

Statistics show that in Dorchester alone there have been six accidents in the past month. The problems are being repeated across the country.

Dorchester councillor Sue Wakely said: "They are the most fantastic things because they give people independence but, having said that, the people who use them are not given any tuition.

"We also need some form of insurance and identity scheme because after an accident, these vehicles can just ride off."

A spokeswoman for the Department for Transport said a review was being launched to look not only at insurance and registration but the weight and construction of the vehicles and how many people could ride on one.

She added: "It is something we are looking at in response to there being more elderly people now and more people staying mobile by using these vehicles."

[nicholasblair]

Keep death off the roads, drive on the pavement!

I recall being mowed down a few years ago, the old woman piloting was completely oblivious to anything around her.

[roop]

These things are great. When I was a kid I used to mow the lawns down at the care homes for a few quid on a Saturday afternoon and several old dears had these things. One took a shortcut across the lawn instead of using the path that had been laid for the buggies. The old dear inadvertently rolled it into a drainage ditch. After laughing my arse off at this, and eventually dragging the old dear out unscathed, I used the lawn tractor and a bit or rope to drag the rolled buggy out of the ditch and set her on her way. Could have easy made a grand out of Beadle if I'd had my camera. Rats.

At a later date I had a go on this buggy thing. Loads of torque but no speed controller - either full speed reverse or forward. You could go full speed in reverse, switch to forward and light up the front wheel and get it to squeal. Yep, it was a front wheel drive trike...! Ah, simple pleasures.

Oh, and my Gran has the only TVR buggy. My dad bought it her with switachbale front/rear wheel drive/steer (seat fastens on either way..!!!) and a TVR sticker on it. Unfortunately she died last year so it now resides in my dad's games room. I'm sure he mops the floor and practices getting this thing sideways in the wet...!

Edited for typos

>> Edited by roop on Friday 21st February 16:36

[DanH]

I once saw a guy giving an old woman a rollicking for hitting him with one. I applauded his attitude in these oh so PC times where you are meant to be nice to the old bloody minded buggers.

Maybe we can point lasers at them and do them for speeding.

[minimax]

roop said: You could go full speed in reverse, switch to forward and light up the front wheel and get it to squeal. Yep, it was a front wheel drive trike...! Ah, simple pleasures.


>> Edited by roop on Friday 21st February 16:36

quality mate, pure quality!

[Superflid]

Roop, was it one of these?

www.pdqmobility.com/live/us/page.php?name=Using%20Your%20PowerTrike


Have done some P/H mods on mine, and hit 47 mph

[mybrainhurts]

Used to see a bloody-minded old twerp who decided he had a right to drive his buggy along the middle of the road.

He was out and about for a few months.

Last seen in the outside lane, dual carriageway, sitting at a red light.

Never saw him again after that.........!

[DennisTheMenace]

Theres an old bint in Dorchester has got a 2 seater which takes up all of the pavement so you have to jump out of the way cos the old bint dosent do stopping , Going up through Trinity street on friday i had a couple completely oblivious to the bike just step out in front of me and one of these battery powered corpse shifters , how they fail to not hear a bike with a race can is beyond me its not exactly silent

[jmorgan]

All for them. A friend went down hill fast in about 2 years with rheumatoid arthritis (?) and an electric buggy is a good way for him to get around.
Still...wonder if they do underneath lighting for them?

[robp]

jmorgan said: All for them. A friend went down hill fast in about 2 years with rheumatoid arthritis (?) and an electric buggy is a good way for him to get around.
Still...wonder if they do underneath lighting for them?

I know of a company that makes the special eddition "kevin" electric buggy.
Standard equipment includes;
- Always on fog lights
- "slammed" suspension
- big bore exhaust
- full neon light system
- flashing stick on pastic bits

Only 1000 are being built so you best get in fast. I have 5 on order myself.

[cpearson]

those electric buggys are just plain dangerous!! not to the drivers tho but to the pedestrians they ram throught on the way to bingo. once they old dears get behind the "wheel" they are a law to their own!!!
they don't move for anybody. A bit like people with pushchairs, when ever i'm in nottingham doing a bit of shopping i spend have the time driving out of the way of them.
however nothing tops women with umbrella's, now not being sexist here but generally women are the right height to hit my face with their spiky weapons of mass destruction(so got carried away there-wrong topic). Their heads are down, they know without looking where the shop they want is and they just go!!!
or maybe they just don't like me

[jvaughan]

WE usually get them 3 abreast going down the A343 on saturday mornings, heading for the shopping Centre in Andover. Bear in mind, the road is a 50mph dual carrageway, it is always interesting watching them trundling leasurly @ 4.something mph.... even funnier is when their batteries start to die and they are reduced to a snails pace.

[Fatboy]

however nothing tops women with umbrella's, now not being sexist here but generally women are the right height to hit my face with their spiky weapons of mass destruction(so got carried away there-wrong topic). Their heads are down, they know without looking where the shop they want is and they just go!!!
or maybe they just don't like me

Damn right - short people should not be allowed umbrellas, bloody lethal!!!

[williamp]

I know this is an irresponsable thought,

...inconsiderate...

...lucky to have the full use of my healthy body...

BUT

They would be great to get back form the pub. You could leave them outside, on charge, and climb back in after the pub and off we go.

It would make a change from the ususl Magic Scooter which we normally use in Maidstone

[roop]

SF,

Nah, didn't look as posh as that one. It had wheels about 4" diameter that looked likes ones off a shopping cart. 47mph. Crikey Moses...! One twitch on the sterring at that pace and you're rolling down the asphalt...!!!

Superflid said: Roop, was it one of these?

www.pdqmobility.com/live/us/page.php?name=Using%20Your%20PowerTrike


Have done some P/H mods on mine, and hit 47 mph

[Mark Benson]

I thought this was going to be another 'hit or swerve' question....