Road Safety & PMAs

No, I do not think the road user is safe. In the picture, a personal mobility aid is being used on a busy road with cars and lorries passing close by, instead of on the footpath. PMAs move much more slowly than vehicles and they sit much lower, so a driver may not see them in time. What I also noticed is that there is no barrier separating them from the traffic.

This reminds me of the time I was walking to school along a road without a proper footpath. There were cars parked on both sides, so I had to step onto the road to get past them, and a lorry came round the bend quite fast. I remember pressing myself against a parked car and waiting for it to pass before continuing. After that, my mother and I found a longer route that uses the sheltered walkway instead.

I feel there are a few things we can do. Firstly, PMA users should stay on footpaths and shared paths, where they are meant to travel, and keep to a safe speed. Secondly, drivers should slow down and give plenty of space whenever they see one, because the PMA user has no seat belt or airbag to protect them. Most importantly, footpaths need to be wide and even enough that people are not tempted to use the road in the first place.