Understanding the safety of motorised mobility devices: new research announced

A new research project that aims to transform the safety and wellbeing of mobility scooter and powerchair users across the UK – a group that is often overlooked in road safety efforts, despite facing daily risks

A three-year study – Motorised Mobility Devices: Incidents, Near Misses and Safety – is being led by Nottingham Trent University (NTU) in collaboration with mobility scooter insurance intermediary Surewise, and has been awarded over £200,000 through The Road Safety Trust’s 2024 grants programme.

The project is one of six large-scale initiatives selected to explore how different communities experience unequal risks on the UK’s roads.

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Despite there being an estimated 500,000 to 800,000 mobility scooter and powerchair users in the UK, their experiences remain almost entirely absent from official road safety data, policy and infrastructure design. This project aims to bridge that gap with robust research and practical user-led solutions.

The project will deliver three key outcomes:

1. A framework for understanding mobility scooter safety

Researchers will analyse incident data and build on previous research completed at NTU to develop a comprehensive framework that describes the hazards mobility scooter and powerchair users face.

2. The UK’s first large-scale ‘Near Miss’ dataset

A dedicated mobile app will allow users to log near miss incidents over a 12-18 month period. The anonymised data will be made accessible to policymakers, researchers and practitioners to help shape future safety and wellbeing strategies.

3. Real-time and long-term safety guidance

The app will also provide users with instant, tailored safety advice based on their reports. Findings from the data will be used to develop new industry-wide guidance to improve safety at a national level.

The project builds on the momentum of Surewise’s Safer Mobility Campaign, launched just one year ago to raise awareness of the challenges faced by mobility scooter users and to advocate for greater protection, accessibility and inclusion.

Since then, the partnership between Surewise and Professor Duncan Guest and his team at NTU has grown into a powerful force for change. Professor Guest, leading the project at NTU, said: “We’re really pleased to receive this grant from The Road Safety Trust. These are vulnerable road users, but little is currently known about their day-to-day safety experiences, despite injury and fatality data showing cause for concern.

“This project brings together our academic research with real-world insights from Surewise, and we’ll be involving mobility scooter users throughout – including forming a panel of expert users to shape the work and its outcomes. We hope this research delivers a step change in how mobility scooter safety and wellbeing are understood, prioritised and improved across the UK.”

Richard Hannan, Director of Surewise, said: “This research marks a major moment in our mission to improve safety and wellbeing for mobility scooter and powerchair users. The launch of the Safer Mobility Campaign gave a voice to the frustrations and fears many users quietly carry.

“Now, through this academic partnership and support from The Road Safety Trust, we’re moving from awareness to action. This project will build the evidence, tools and guidance needed to make real change happen.”