Trying out mobility scooter controls
When choosing a mobility scooter, try out as many different types of controls as possible to make sure that you can reach everything, steer and drive easily, safely and confidently without pain or discomfort.
The two photos above show the controls on the central panel and the steering of mobility scooters.
Think about your:
- Upper body strength and range of movement
- Co-ordination
- Grip
- Dexterity in hands and fingers
- Vision
Supplies can sometimes arrange for adjustments to be made, such as changing the set-up of the accelerator lever if you prefer to use your left hand.
See our checklist about mobility scooters
What to look for: the control panel
Things to check:
- Can you see all of the controls?
- Can you easily reach and use all of the controls with at least one hand?
- Do you understand what all of the controls do?
- Does colour help you to see the different controls more clearly?
Most scooters have a central control panel, which faces up at you so that you can easily see all of the controls.
Make sure you can reach everything
The number, position and layout of controls varies depending on the scooter's class and the type of steering it has.
For example, larger scooters with handlebars may have controls on their steering, to help you reach them more easily. Things to think about include:
- If the handlebars are too wide, this may make it difficult for you to reach all of the controls with your fingers, especially if you have a small hand span.
- The smaller the control panel, the closer the handgrips are likely to be, so you won't need to reach out so far to turn the scooter.
Some control panels have coloured buttons and lights, while other panels just have black and white buttons. Colours and lights can make the controls more noticeable and may help you remember what each button is for.
Class 2 mobility scooters
Class 2 scooters have a very basic set of controls because they are only for use on pavements. Controls usually include:
- A key or on/off switch
- Dial for controlling speed
- Horn
Some models may feature additional controls for safety such as:
- Lights
- Indicators
- Hazard lights
Class 3 scooters
Class 3 scooters are designed for use on the road, making safety an even greater consideration. By law, these scooters need to have:
- Lights
- Indicators
- Horn
- Hazard lights
- Reflectors
- Mirrors
They may also include:
- A speedometer
- A hand brake
- A digital information display
- Additional speed controls
The more frequently used controls, such as the horn, are placed on both sides of the control panel. This lets you use either hand for them.
What to look for: the tiller (steering column)
Things to check:
- Can you grip the handlebars?
- Can you grip and steer with one or both hands?
- Can you turn the scooter around without strain or pain in your arms, shoulder or neck?
- Can you reach and use the controls while turning the scooter?
- Do you feel comfortable, confident and safe when steering around obstacles?
Mobility scooters - two types of steering
Delta tiller with wraparound, D-shaped steering handles 
On a delta tiller your hands will be positioned closer together, which can make it is easier to turn the scooter if you get pain and/or stiffness in your arms and shoulders.
T-shaped tiller or handlebars like a bike
T-shaped handlebars may feel more natural, but if the controls are on the handlebars you may find them difficult to use when turning the scooter on full lock.
From our research project with 16 disabled and older people (half experienced scooter users, half novices) using a sample of seven class 2 and class 3 mobility scooters we found:
- On some scooters, the tiller can be adjusted for height, pulled closer to you or pushed further away.
- This can be useful if you can't stretch your arms very far or need extra space to turn when getting on and off the scooter.
- Check that the tiller is easy for you to adjust and that it's as flexible as you need it to be.
We asked our panel of mobility scooter users for their most important tips.
Turning your mobility scooter on and off
Things to check:
- Do you have enough grip and strength to hold and turn the key?
- Is the key in a position where you can reach and use it with your strongest hand, or two hands if necessary?
- Is the key placed so that you can easily see it?
- Can you tell when the scooter is on and off?
- Do you have secure storage for the scooter?
Scooters are battery powered. They do not make a noise when switched on, which can make it difficult to know whether they are on or off.
'On' light
Some models have a little light that indicates when the scooter is on. Others have a battery dial that will light up.
If a scooter is left on for long periods of time, the battery will run low. For peace of mind, you may find it useful to choose a scooter that tells you when it's on.
Ignition
The ignition key switch may be:
- on the central control panel
- to the side of the panel, or
- lower down on the tiller (steering column at the front).
Some scooters have a key attached, while others have a key that you can take out, like a car has. If you can’t rely on your memory, you may find it easier to choose a mobility scooter with a fixed key. But if you are worried about security, or don’t have lockable storage, then a detachable key may be a better choice. Keys also vary in size across scooter make and model.
Setting your speed
Things to check:
- Are you able to grip and turn a dial at the same time as concentrating on the path or road ahead?
- Are you able to use enough pressure to press a button?
- Do you have enough strength in your fingers to push a switch?
- Do you get pain in your fingers or hands when using the buttons and/or switch controls?
- Can you clearly see and read the speed control labels (with glasses if required)?
- Can you easily identify your speed on a digital display (with glasses if required)?
- Can you read the digital speedometer display in sunlight and in shade (with glasses if required)?
Speed dials
On smaller scooters the only speed control is a dial used to set maximum speed. Often, a picture of a tortoise is used to represent slowest and a hare used to for fastest. Other labels might show 'min' and 'max' or a range of numbers.
Speed switches and buttons
On larger scooters (class 3) the speed controls vary further. Some have a half/full speed switch, which may be shown as ½ and 1, a high/low button, shown as H/L, or a dial with an additional button to instantly boost or slow speed. All of these switch the scooter between accelerating up to 4mph (the fastest you can go on the pavement) and 8mph (the fastest you can go on the road).
Fast/slow speed switches
You can use these speed controls to set your speed before you set off and to adjust it as you go along, too.Try out the speed controls when you test drive a scooter to check that you can use them safely while driving along.
Speedometers
You're unlikely to find a class 2 scooter with a speedometer, but they are common on class 3 models.
A digital display is often used to show speed, and may also show additional information including:
- battery life
- temperature
- time
- mileage
If the digital display does feature a lot of additional information it may be difficult to identify your speed.
A backlit digital display is often easier to read.
Acceleration
Things to check:
- Can you reach the accelerator lever with all or most of your fingers?
- Do you want to use one or both hands to drive?
- Do you want to use your right hand to move forward and left to reverse?
- Is it easier to squeeze or push a lever?
- Are you able to hold a lever in one position for a long period of time?
- Do you instinctively know which hand to use to go forward and back?
The accelerator is usually a lever or paddle positioned close to the handlebars. There's often another lever on the opposite side. These levers are used to move the scooter forwards and backwards.
Acceleration levers
On some models you can use either hand to go forward and back: you pull the lever towards you to go forwards and push it away to reverse. The other side works the same, but the opposite way around. You can choose whether to use one or both hands.
Acceleration levers come in different shapes and lengths. You need enough reach to move the tiller and enough dexterity to pull the levers to control the speed.
Check they are in the right place for you to reach, squeeze and/or push, and that the shape is comfortable – usually they can’t be altered.
It can be very tiring to maintain pressure with your thumb. If this is likely to be a problem, go for a design that allows you to switch hands or press with a different part of your hand.
When you're a scooter novice, it can be easy to confuse the forward and reverse accelerators. At the beginning, you may find that you reverse when you wanted to move forwards. Some scooters include a little diagram or a dot of colour to remind you which lever is forward and which is reverse. This may be useful detail if you can't rely on your memory.
Braking and stopping
Things to check:
- Can you easily release and/or remove your hands from the accelerator?
- Can you reach the handbrake?
- Can you squeeze the handbrake hard enough to make the scooter stop?
- Can you tell the handbrake from other controls on the scooter?
Handbrake on a class 3 scooter
Some brakes can be hard to grip
Class 2 scooters don't have brakes
- To stop you must release the accelerator lever.
- You may find it easier to completely remove your hand from the accelerator lever to stop quickly.
- As with accelerating, stopping on a scooter can take some getting used to, particularly if you have ever driven a car or ridden a bike.
Safety Tip: Because there's no brake, it's difficult to do an emergency stop. The scooter tends to slow down to a standstill. It's important to allow for this when driving close to pedestrians or on a busy pavement.
Class 3 scooters have handbrakes
- these usually look like bicycle brakes but they will also stop if you take your hand off the accelerator.
- can be used to aid stopping or for an emergency stop.
- They may be awkward to reach if you have difficulty stretching your fingers out or have small hands. The handle to adjust the tiller can look very similar and may be positioned opposite the handbrake on some scooters. Be sure to check which one is which before setting off.
Our consumer panel of mobility scooter users for their most important tips.
Turning your mobility scooter on and off
Things to check:
- Do you have enough grip and strength to hold and turn the key?
- Is the key in a position where you can reach and use it with your strongest hand, or two hands if necessary?
- Is the key placed so that you can easily see it?
- Can you tell when the scooter is on and off?
- Do you have secure storage for the scooter?
Scooters are battery powered. They do not make a noise when switched on, which can make it difficult to know whether they are on or off.
'On' light
- Some models have a little light that indicates when the scooter is on. Others have a battery dial that will light up.
- If a scooter is left on for long periods of time, the battery will run low.
- For peace of mind, you may find it useful to choose a scooter that tells you when it's on.
Ignition
The ignition key switch may be:
- on the central control panel,
- to the side of the panel, or
- lower down on the tiller (steering column at the front).
Some scooters have a key attached, while others have a key that you can take out, like a car has. If you can’t rely on your memory, you may find it easier to choose a scooter with a fixed key. But if you are worried about security, or don’t have lockable storage, then a detachable key may be a better choice. Keys also vary in size across scooter make and model.
Useful websites
For finance:
For information, advice and test drives, practise and safety advice:
Driving Mobility - local mobility centres
For product information and advice before you buy:
