How To Keep Your Mobility Scooter In Good Working Condition For Longer
A mobility scooter can change your life if you have mobility problems, providing greater levels of independence and freedom whether you just need your scooter for trips out to the local shops, or you’re using it to travel further afield as well.
As you may know, a mobility scooter is no small investment, and a breakdown can result in costly repairs not to mention the temporary loss of independence while it is being repaired or replaced.
For these reasons, keeping your mobility scooter in good condition is important to ensure you really get the most of your scooter's lifetime.
A poorly cared for mobility scooter is likely to need it’s battery replaced sooner, and can be dangerous to drive on the pavement or on the road: with a few good habits, however, you can keep your scooter in top condition and ready to go whenever you need it.
In this article, we’ve covered a few top tips for maintaining your mobility scooter at home to avoid unnecessary breakdowns and problems.
How to maintain your mobility scooter:
1. Keep the battery topped up
If there’s one thing you do to care for your mobility scooter, it should be taking the proper steps to keep your battery in good condition.
That means simply plugging in your scooter after use and charging overnight to keep the battery topped up and healthy. If you aren’t using your scooter frequently, charge it overnight at least once a week to prevent the battery from going flat.
It’s important to remember that under-charging your battery and running the risk of it going completely flatter is far worse than the risk of ‘over-charging’ your mobility scooter battery. Most scooters are fitted with cut-off monitors that prevent over-charging from happening, but not charging your battery enough will result in a replacement being needed far sooner than necessary.
2. Store your mobility scooter correctly
The ideal storage conditions for a mobility scooter is somewhere dry, indoors (away from the elements), secure, and ideally with access to a mains socket so you can easily charge the scooter.
If your mobility scooter is exposed to damp, this can seriously damage the battery, and the same applies for leaving the scooter out in cold weather, which is why a designated storage space indoors (a storage shed or unit separate from your house is ideal) is best.
3. Consider insuring your scooter
Mobility scooter insurance is not a legal requirement in the UK, but it is highly recommended in order to protect you as the driver, your mobility scooter, and third parties (other members of the public) in the event of an accident.
Insurance for your scooter can cover theft, vandalism, and accidental damage, as well as things like third party liability and legal expenses - all of which are extremely helpful in the case of an unexpected incident.
4. Keep a few spare parts to hand
Having a few spare parts can be extremely helpful should you find yourself with a light not working or a flat tyre.
A few spare parts that can be useful include tyre tubes, spare light bulbs and reflectors, and even a spare battery - although this last one can be a relatively expensive investment.
5. Get your scooter professionally serviced
When you buy your mobility scooter from an accredited supplier, they will often offer regular (annual or six-monthly) servicing to help you keep your mobility scooter healthy and in good working order.
If you already have a scooter, contact the manufacturer or the supplier to find out about servicing - if you are in the process of buying a scooter, make sure you ask about getting your scooter serviced as part of your contract.
6. Know the rules on driving your scooter
Finally, a simple way of keeping your mobility scooter in good working condition is to know the rules about driving your mobility scooter.
For example, some mobility scooters are not legally able to be driven on the roads, whereas others have a speed limit to keep you and other pedestrians safe from accidents. Read all mobility scooter and powered wheelchair rules on the Gov.uk website.