Summary

A person’s mobility is closely linked to health status and quality of life (Webber et al. 2010). Mobility scooters are increasingly seen as a lifeline toward independence and emotional wellbeing, particularly for older Australians (ACCC et al. 2012).

Despite media attention and community discussion about the risks and benefits of mobility scooter use, there are few substantial evidence-based reviews of these largely unregulated consumer products.

Recent publications from Australia and elsewhere have generally focused on mobility scooter uptake, safety, training, design issues, and health benefits ( Jancey et al. 2013; Johnson et al. 2013; Nitz 2008; Zagol & Krasuski 2010), with limited focus on mobility scooter-related injuries and deaths (Edwards & McCluskey 2010; Kitching et al. 2015; Mortensen & Kim 2016).

This report aims to help fill this data gap. It provides an overview of mobility scooter-related injuries, including pedestrians injured in a collision with a mobility scooter, and falls that were most likely from a mobility scooter and ended in a hospital admission. These data are for the 5 years from 1 July 2011 to 30 June 2016. It also provides information on mobility scooter-related deaths in Australians aged 60 and over for 10 years from 1 July 2006 to 30 June 2016, using data from the National Coronial Information System (NCIS).