Child injured by mobility scooter, mum calls for ban

LAST Thursday afternoon, while grocery shopping inside Woolworths Pialba, my son was hurt by an out-of-control lunatic on a motorised scooter.

Worried mum decries ‘lunatic’ mobility riders after shopping crash

LAST Thursday afternoon, while grocery shopping inside Woolworths Pialba, my son was hurt by an out-of-control lunatic on a motorised scooter.

The reason I say lunatic is because this particular woman is a repeat offender for ignorance of pedestrians and property.

I have been told that this woman cannot be charged for harming my almost six-year-old son. However, if she had managed to run right over the top of him and kill him (which could have happened had a wire display rack not been in the way so his legs were hurt), then that would be a different story.

So, until someone is actually killed by one of these vehicles in pedestrian access places, the law allows them to continue on their menacing ways.

My son was not the only child hit, but at least two other kids (it was just after school).

Since talking about my encounter, I have heard countless - yes countless - stories of repeat offenders in Stockland, in Pialba Place, in banking and postal districts, all places with heavy pedestrian traffic.

There are other options available to disabled patrons and shoppers, yet they continue to put other people's lives at risk.

As responsible parents, we teach our children to look both ways while crossing the road or "hold my hand" before we cross.

Now how and what road rules do I need to teach my child to avoid being hit by a vehicle in Woolies? For the love of God, being a parent and grocery shopping with a toddler/small child is hard enough, let alone having to watch out for out-of-control scooters. I feel, as a community, we need to start a process that bans all motorised scooters from pedestrian areas, especially high traffic areas like Woolies and especially ones which children frequent.

Small children are no match for one of these things, and I've seen it first-hand.

Picture: Jupiterimages

THE RULES

All mobility scooters and powered wheelchairs are restricted by law to a maximum speed of 10km/h and users must abide by pedestrian road rules.

These rules include:

 Giving way to other road users on a path or nature strip

 Exercising due care and attention for the safety of others at all times

 Driving on the footpath or nature strip at all times and only using the road when the footpath or nature strip is not suitable

Originally published as Child injured by mobility scooter, mum calls for ban