Hi Max: my Dad (89) uses one of these and has done so for about 8 years. He lives in a Sheltered Housing unit. Rugby has had an elderly couple die when a vandal set fire to the mobility scooter stored in a make-shift lean-to outside. The fumes entered through a window used for charging. I could argue that these things are inherently dangerous and should be banned I suppose, but then that would constrain my Dad to the confines of his four walls whereas now he's out and about all day. Yes, there are risks, but you have to balance this against the quality of life. Yes, he could drive it down the stairwell, and he could fall down the stairs too. A number of the other residents where he lives have scooters and all happily and safely use the lifts and corridors. Some argue they couldn't walk to a remote charging station away from the building. These scooters are often more like replacement wheelchairs than a new means of fast transport. The local council have attempted to impose controls especially after the fatality. My Dad now has to recharge in his bedroom. My own view is that anyone who builds assisted living facilities has to recognise and adapt the facility to allow for the parking and recharging of scooters and wheelchairs. The provision of properly constructed secure shelters, external charging points etc. would do much to improve things. We're all getting older and I suspect the population of scooters will grow, and we need to accept them.

In my opinion (not qualified health and safety yet but training). They should be governed by the rules of electric Fork Lift Trucks (obviously not all). Harmful / explosive gases are released when charging so good ventilation is required. Danger of trailing wires Possibility of burns from battery acid and electric arcing / fire if shorted. To name but a few hazards My Grandfather had an electric wheel chair he was 94 when I visited him a few years ago and it was great for his mobility, returning to his flat he drove into my grandmothers legs, not aware what was happening he just kept powering into her, if I was not there to pull him back he could have caused some serious damage to her she was 93. I think they should be kept in remote storage / charging stations and manual powered chairs to return to rooms / flats either assisted or not. I would also like them to be fitted with proximity sensors to prevent them from hitting object in front of them, avoiding situations such as what happened to my grandmother and many other pedestrians.

Steve M, just a note; mobility aids no longer use wet acid batteries, they use a gel type which evolves negligible amounts of hydrogen in charging. We no longer need to have dedicated charging rooms in our care centres, normal ventilation is all that is needed