Safe Operation of a Mobility Scooter : Safely Operating a Mobility Scooter Training

Safely operating a mobility scooter is a very important part of incorporating this mode of transportation into your life. Currently, there is a great deal of research being done on the need for mobility scooter safety training in British Columbia, but there are limited coaching or training opportunities.

Fortunately, there is one program offered in Vancouver as well as recommended public mobility scooter practice opportunities.

Scooting Seniors and the Scooter Rodeo

• Scooting Seniors is a program provided by the Collingwood Community Policing Centre that takes place in Trout Lake at the Killarney Community Center. It was first launched in 2016 as the Scooter Rodeo by RCMP Sargent Janna McGuinness and was offered across British Columbia. Scooting Seniors is a free, thorough, accessible, fun, and informative workshop that includes hands-on training with various mobility scooter models. The next Scooting Seniors workshop is set for May 2024 (the poster will be posted on thier website soon). To register and get more details, please call The Collingwood Community Policing Centre and speak with the Executive Director, Partap Sahota, at 604-717-2935. Partap and the Collingwood Community Policing Centre take senior safety very seriously and have a variety of free workshops available for senior citizens in addition to Scooting Seniors.

Public Mobility Scooter Practice

• Canadian Tire and Walmart have public mobility scooters available to all shoppers to use if they have limited mobility. As a visitor to either Walmart or Canadian Tire, you are welcome to use these scooters for free while you browse the store. These scooters are very intuitive to use, and you may ask employees about their basic operation. Many new mobility scooter users are encouraged to visit these stores and utilize this free public access to these scooters to become more familiar with and confident in operating a mobility scooter.