disabled scooters - license?

jenny smith

Do people using disabled scooters on road need a license? That are exempt from tax and insurance.Only learned that now.. There seems to be a lot of them around which is good as it gives the person some freedom. I think it is a bit dangerous on the streets of a town though as they are very low.

I recently passed a man in a very rural area travelling along, great he has that independence. This is just a curiosity, not looking for advice

Kings Inns or bust

Do they go any faster or break any more red lights than your average cyclist?

jenny smith

Kings Inns or bust wrote: »

Do they go any faster or break any more red lights than your average cyclist?

up to 8 mph it says. I have never seen them do anything wrong. I just think there is a danger as they are lower than a car.

Kings Inns or bust

jenny smith wrote: »

up to 8 mph it says. I have never seen them do anything wrong. I just think there is a danger as they are lower than a car.

You've very reasonably asked for a legal discussion, I'm simply pointing out some of the practical issues.

Marcusm

jenny smith wrote: »

Do people using disabled scooters on road need a license? That are exempt from tax and insurance.Only learned that now.. There seems to be a lot of them around which is good as it gives the person some freedom. I think it is a bit dangerous on the streets of a town though as they are very low.

I recently passed a man in a very rural area travelling along, great he has that independence. This is just a curiosity, not looking for advice

Provided its unladen weight is less than 400kgs and it's designed for use by an invalid it is not required to be registered. Drivers have to be licensed to drive registered vehicles.

ohnonotgmail

No licence is required. They are considered an extension of the person using them and not as a vehicle in its own right.

mynamejeff

i have heard of a guy in cork drunk driving acting the twat on one around patrick street making a prat of himself , he got arrested and convicted in the district court , think it was facts proven no penalty,
they do qualify as a mpv
cant find the story but heres two others from the uk


http://www.irishmirror.ie/incoming/man-appears-court-accused-being-5983870

https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/1540868/man-drunk-in-charge-of-mobility-scooter-breathalysed-by-cops-after-refusing-to-leave-mcdonalds-drive-thru-in-skegness/

ohnonotgmail

mynamejeff wrote: »

i have heard of a guy in cork drunk driving acting the twat on one around patrick street making a prat of himself , he got arrested and convicted in the district court , think it was facts proven no penalty,
they do qualify as a mpv
cant find the story but heres two others from the uk


http://www.irishmirror.ie/incoming/man-appears-court-accused-being-5983870

https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/1540868/man-drunk-in-charge-of-mobility-scooter-breathalysed-by-cops-after-refusing-to-leave-mcdonalds-drive-thru-in-skegness/

the UK has legislation on mobility scooters. we dont. any UK cases are not terribly relevant here as a result.

mynamejeff

ohnonotgmail wrote: »

the UK has legislation on mobility scooters. we dont. any UK cases are not terribly relevant here as a result.

ya as i said i posted them as i was not able to find the old case from Ireland that i had heard of ............

brian_t

The quote below is from the Garda website.

Would the description not also cover a mobility scooter.

What is the legal status of electric/battery powered scooters?

The use of these types of scooters has become very popular in recent years, especially with children.

The legal position is that if one of these scooters can be powered by mechanical or electrical power alone, and does not require pedalling or scooting for propulsion, then the scooter is considered to be a mechanically propelled vehicle (MPV) in terms of road traffic legislation, irrespective of engine capacity.

If such scooters are to be used in any public place, they require insurance and road tax as with any other MPV.

The driver would also require a driving licence and is obliged to wear a crash helmet.

If the user of such a scooter cannot fulfil these legal requirements, then the scooter should only be used on private property.

http://www.garda.ie/Controller.aspx?Page=1728&Lang=1

ohnonotgmail

brian_t wrote: »

The quote below is from the Garda website.

Would the description not also cover a mobility scooter.


http://www.garda.ie/Controller.aspx?Page=1728&Lang=1

short answer is no.

hullaballoo

The reality is that that's total rubbish.

The Garda website, along with a few other notable examples, purports to provide an interpretation of the law that often has no basis in reality.

They have no role in providing this sort of "information" so I genuinely don't know why they feel the need to throw their oar in when the result is such confused misinformation emanating from the State on legal matters. Tack on to this the current crowd's propensity to discredit and undermine actual lawyers at every opportunity and you end up with all manner of total bullshite doing the rounds that many people believe to represent hard and fast laws while at the same time being totally distrusting of anyone who is actually qualified to clear up the mess.

Do I need a licence for my toddler's remote control car as well? It's a mechanically propelled vehicle after all. :rolleyes: