A teenage mobility scooter user from Kent has spoken out about the impact of a collision with a car as the latest figures reveal the South East saw more road casualties involving mobility scooter users in 2024 than any other region.
Josh Howell, 18, from Swanscombe, was involved in a collision with a car while crossing the road on his mobility scooter earlier this year, close to his home.
He said: “I landed several metres down the road and was unable to move. I was in pain all over my body. Only my right arm worked. I genuinely thought I was paralysed.”
Josh had been using a mobility scooter for six months before the incident, and relies on it due to chronic back pain, which had worsened to the point that he could no longer leave the house independently without it.
He sustained extensive bruising across his body and face. Josh also lives with significant mental health challenges and says the experience has had a lasting impact on his confidence.
“My mobility scooter is 100% my lifeline. Without it, I can’t leave the house independently,” he said.
“I’m still sore and bruised, and the pain hasn’t gone away. But the worst part is how it’s affected my confidence. I used to feel confident near roads. Now I feel nervous even standing close to traffic.”
Department for Transport casualty data shows there were 53 mobility scooter road casualties across the South East in 2024 – the most recent national figures available – and 335 casualties across the UK.
The data has been released by insurance intermediary Surewise as part of its Safer Mobility campaign, which aims to raise awareness of the increased risks facing mobility scooter users.
Nationally, 12 people were killed on Britain’s roads in 2024 in collisions involving mobility scooter users, while 323 were injured.
In the ten years from 2015 to 2024, the South East saw more mobility scooter road casualties than any other region, at almost 20 per cent of the UK total.
According to Surewise, the figures expose a growing and often overlooked road safety problem affecting people of all ages who rely on mobility scooters as an essential means of independence, many of whom are disabled or living with long-term health conditions.
Richard Hannan, director at Surewise, said: “Josh is one of a growing number of people being seriously injured or killed while using mobility scooters. Even incidents recorded as ‘slight’ by the police can result in people avoiding journeys, limiting their movements, or becoming housebound through loss of confidence.
“By speaking out about what happened to him, he is showing real bravery and helping to shine a light on a hidden road safety crisis that can no longer be ignored.
“These figures should be a wake-up call that mobility scooter users are being overlooked in road safety policy, street design and public awareness.”
Surewise is calling for mobility scooter users to be explicitly included in the Hierarchy of Road Users within the Highway Code, alongside pedestrians, cyclists and other vulnerable road user groups, to strengthen their recognition and protection on the road.
Recorded casualties in collisions involving mobility scooters in 2024 by region:
Region | Total casualties |
South East | 53 |
East Midlands | 46 |
Yorkshire and The Humber | 39 |
North West | 37 |
South West | 33 |
London | 32 |
East of England | 28 |
Wales | 25 |
West Midlands | 24 |
Scotland | 9 |
North East | 9 |
More information on the government’s consultation is here.
For more information, please visit: https://www.surewise.com/safer-mobility/
