The astonishing footage shows the driver of the mobility scooter looking unfazed despite the speed of the traffic around him
Mobility scooter seen on busy dual carriageway
Video has emerged showing an elderly man taking his mobility scooter on a busy dual carriageway. The hair-raising footage was taken on the A21 between Tonbridge and Pembury, heading towards Hastings.
It is not clear when the video was taken, but it initially shows traffic building on the dual carriageway. Taken from what looks like a van, the video then shows the camera vehicle pull out from behind a lorry as the driver speculates about what could be causing the hold-up.
As the van overtakes the lorry, an elderly man on a mobility scooter comes into view – much to the amazement of the man filming the encounter. The man filming then sarcastically says: “You want to slow it down mate, there’s a speed camera up here.”
The video was posted to TikTok by will_james_spa, who took the video. It has since been viewed more than 530,000 times at the time of writing.
Warning: The video below contains strong language
The video sparked debate online over whether it was legal or not. Many people speculated that mobility scooters were not allowed on dual carriageways due to their low maximum speed.
“It’s actually legal aswell,” said one person, while another commented: “The law says the mobility scooter needs a active flashing amber warning light , so he’s illegally riding that thing.”
The Government website states that, to drive on the road, your vehicle must be a powered wheelchair or mobility scooter in ‘class 3’ or not in a class. If it is not in a class, you must have a driving licence to operate it.
It must have a maximum speed of at least 8mph, an efficient braking system, a clear view of the road and traffic ahead, front and rear lights and reflectors, direction indicators that can be used as a hazard warning signal, a rear view mirror, and an audible horn. You must follow The Highway Code when using your mobility scooter or powered wheelchair on the road. You cannot drive in bus lanes, on motorways, or in cycle lanes.
You should use an amber flashing light for visibility if you use a mobility scooter or powered wheelchair on a dual carriageway. Avoid using dual carriageways with a speed limit of over 50mph. If you use one, you must use an amber flashing light.
Other people in the comments were quick to praise the lorry driver, who was keep a safe distance behind the mobility scooter and not showing any signs of impatience.
“The speed camera joke was unreal, but all jokes aside, fair play to that lorry driver keeping him safe, could have had a different ending without,” said one person.
“Hats off to the truck driver protecting him,” said another, while a third added: “Aww I think that lorry driver was protecting him.”
