The Personal Mobility Scooter - Reliability And Safety Are What Counts

| Thursday, June 9, 2011
By Chris Station


In a personal mobility scooter, you'll get what you pay for. So even if your budget is limited, there are a few must-have features that will enhance reliability and safety. Here's a look at these features.

The kind of scooter you decide upon will depend on where you think you'll use it more. For use inside, 3 wheelers are the preferred scooter because of their ease of maneuverability. For outdoor use, 4 wheelers are preferable because of their added stability.

Folding mobility scooters are quite useful for those who take their scooters with them to go shopping or visiting. There are even specialty scooters for travelers. Travel mobility scooters tend to be smaller and easy to store. Larger individuals or those needing to bring along medical equipment may find a heavy duty mobility scooter is best.

No matter which type of scooter you choose, the parts that determine reliability are the base plate and the wheels. That makes a lot of sense when you think about the fact that these are the parts that actually support the rider as well as the rest of the scooter.

The platform or base plate supports your feet as well as the steering column or tiller, the seat, and the battery. Base plates are typically constructed out of aluminum, steel or composite materials. The base plate varies depending on whether it has been designed for indoor or outdoor use. Rider comfort and safety should be at the forefront when it comes to the base plate.

Scooters intended for indoors may have adjustments made to minimize the size of the wheelbase and ground clearance, so it maneuvers more precisely; a feature that comes in handy in limited space.

Other scooters may come with longer platforms or an extendable base to better accommodate longer legs. Increasing the length of the base increases the turning cycle of a mobility scooter. Better constructed scooters will maintain stability and not tip easily when making sharp turns or going up inclines.

Then there are the scooter's wheels. Wheel size is a determining factor in how well a personal mobility scooter can maneuver over obstacles and how stable it is. Wheels on a scooter are generally between six to ten inches in diameter. The scooter should have the same size wheels front and back.

Indoor scooters usually have smaller wheels. Since larger wheels translate to a more stable ride, larger wheels are generally found on scooters made for outdoor use. These tires are similar to car tires in that you can choose different tread patterns depending on how rough or uneven the terrain might be. The deeper the tread the better the tires will grip.

When the time comes to choose a personal mobility scooter, you may want to check into these two features before making your decision.




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