The Building Blocks For Outdoor Mobility Scooters

click image to view details

Mobility scooters are designed to assist those who have difficulty walking with the tasks and opportunities associated with daily living. They can be designed for indoor or outdoor use, with some models being middle of the road and designed to accommodate both indoor and outdoor use. However, there are particular construction and user needs that have to be met in order for a mobility scooter to perform outdoors at optimum levels. A good portion of what is necessary for mobility scooters to be more effective and comfortable for the rider outdoors lies within the construction and design of the base unit.
Base units are the bodies of mobility scooters and are often referred to as a platform or base plate. Typically, base units consist of a frame constructed of aluminum, steel or composite materials with a composite or fiberglass floor to support the seat, feet, battery and tiller, also known as the steering column. Base units also include the mobility scooter’s drive train. The mobility scooter’s maneuverability and its suitability for indoor or outdoor use in large part depends upon the characteristics of the base unit such as its turning radius, the size of its wheelbase, its ground clearance, and its overall dimensions.

It is important to evaluate the base for safety features, including its overall stability.  A scooter should not tip easily during sharp turns or while climbing a curb. Anti-tip wheels should be included as part of the frame to help support and stabilize the scooter. Most rear wheel drive mobility scooters are intended to negotiate more rugged terrain and are usually equipped with rear anti-tips to support the scooter on hills.

The drive train is a critical part of the base unit and provides either front or rear wheel drive for the mobility scooter.  Front-wheel drive is usually found on smaller scooters designed primarily to be used indoors or outdoors on flat, paved surfaces.  The motor of the front wheel drive scooter is located over the front wheels and drives only those wheels.  Because of the motor and wheel configuration, front wheel drive mobility scooters usually do not have chains or belts and are powered by smaller motors. The front wheels pull the weight of the rider and the scooter making them less capable of handling steep inclines, climbing curbs and managing rough terrain.

Rear wheel drive mobility scooters are powered by motors connected to the rear axle, either via a chain, a belt, a transaxle unit, or a combination of these components.  Because the mobility scooter is driven by the rear wheels, they push the combined weight of the unit and the rider, rather than pull it like the front wheel drive models.  The combined weight of the rider, the motor, and the batteries over the rear wheels, generally create better traction than that is usually provided by front-wheel drive models.  The increased traction combined with the more powerful motors used on rear-wheel drive scooters results in better climbing ability.  Rear-wheel-drive scooters also have a greater maximum speed, a longer traveling range between battery charges, and a larger rider weight capacity.  These mobility scooters have a wider wheel base and a greater overall length, making some models less maneuverable and unsuitable for indoor use. 

Mobility Scooters Make For Easy Travel

click image to view details

Mobility scooters make short distance travel easier for someone in need of assistance. Independent travel and daily life become a little easier and enjoyable for the elderly or people with a condition that makes it difficult for them to walk or who may tire easily when walking. For people in need, this motorized scooter not only makes travel easy, it decreases their reliance on others and promotes the continuation of an independent lifestyle. These people may be suffering from the typical symptoms that affect the ability to walk due to the natural process of aging or from a variety of conditions that can make walking challenging and uncomfortable including Arthritis, Multiple Sclerosis and Muscular Dystrophy.  As long as the rider has some ability to walk a few steps and has adequate upper body strength and dexterity to operate and control the scooter, a mobility scooter can make all kinds of limited travel easy for those once limited to wheelchairs or dependent upon others.

Although manual chairs or walkers also assist those who have difficulty walking, they also put a lot of strain on the upper body, especially the arms and shoulders. Not only can this strain can be eliminated with a mobility scooter, but the individual is much less likely to fall down from a scooter or fall off the seat of the scooter.

Some of the activities those who use a mobility scooter may once again enjoy, even with their afflictions, are exploring shopping malls, department stores, and grocery stores. By alleviating the physical exertion required to walk, a mobility scooter enables the rider to advance through stores and shops without tiring and with the ability to steer their own course. A nice walk down the main street of a village or down a walkway at the park with family and friends need not be missed with the help of a mobility scooter. Sometimes just getting around the house can be difficult, and a mobility scooter can be a valuable source of independence. Those who have difficulty walking but still perform work from a desk at home will find that a mobility scooter serves well as a stationary seat that swivels from side to front to easily accommodate and transport the rider to and from desks, file cabinets and office equipment without absorbing the physical strength needed to walk.

In addition, mobility scooters make travel easy for themselves! The majority of mobility scooters can be disassembled into a few component parts and be stowed easily in the trunk of a car. This makes the mobility scooter especially helpful for outings with friends and family. Breaking down the scooter is not difficult and quite manageable if approached by one or two people with average physical strength and agility.  Mobility scooters can be gasoline powered, but you will find the majority are powered by electricity. Electric mobility scooters will either have one or two batteries. These batteries sit onboard the base platform, which also supports the feet and the seat. The batteries are charged with a standard charger using a standard electrical outlet, making recharging easy-and continued travel enjoyable!