This week we heard that Katie Price bought herself a pink mobility scooter to get back on the road during driving ban. She was given a three month driving ban after being caught drunk inside her pink Range Rover. To get around the ban, she bought herself a pink mobility scooter, which the Mirror described as "often used by the elderly and disabled". However, riding such a scooter on public roads or paths is illegal for able bodied people. Price explained in her video, The Truth Behind My House, "The reason I bought this was cos when I was banned from driving, I thought there's no way they're stopping me going on the road. So I got one of these, got it done pink, put a bigger engine in it...". She says only stopped riding it when it got a puncture while she was riding off-road. So, was this a good idea? No, read on to find out why.
Katie Price Broke The Rules for Class 3 Invalid Carriages
Mobility Scooters for use on the road are classified as Class 3 Invalid Carriages by the government. They can only be used by people who:
- have trouble walking because of an injury, physical disability or medical condition
- are demonstrating the vehicle before it’s sold
- are training a disabled user
- are taking the vehicle to or from maintenance or repair
Katie Price is an able bodied person, so should not be riding a mobility scooter on the road. But that is not all - she may have broken the speed limit.
Speed Limit: 4mph on Pavements, 8mph on Roads
She said that she "put a bigger engine in it", which suggests she may have had it modified so that it could go faster than 8mph. Any scooter that is modified to go in excess of 8mph is deemed illegal by the government, who state: "You can only drive on the road in a class 3 invalid carriage. The maximum speed is 8mph."
No Mirrors or Indicators
It is not just the speed though - for a Class 3 mobility scooter to be legal, it must have mirrors, lights, a horn, indicators and hazard warning lights, and there is no sign of these on her scooter. Her scooter looks like a pavement mobility scooter, similar to ones sold in Walmart several years ago, which means it will not have any of the features required to make it legal for use on UK roads.
Still Want a Pink Mobility Scooter?
So, if you have been inspired by Katie Price to take to the road in a mobility scooter, think again. If you are not suffering from a disability, or have mobility problems, then you are not allowed to ride a mobility scooter in public. If you do wish to ride a mobility scooter on the road, then you need to purchase a Road Legal mobility scooter, and also register it with the DVLA and get insurance. Any modifications to the engine to increase it's speed will make it illegal. However, if you are looking for a pink mobility scooter, then we can certainly help!
The Valour Pink Mobility Scooter is pink and while it is a pavement scooter, rather than a road legal one, it does dismantle into separate parts so you can easily transport it in a car boot. It has a top speed of 4mph (maximum allowed on pavements) and a 7 mile range, so is perfect for short trips to the shops. You can buy it from our website here or from our nationwide mobility shops.