Marita Wallace expertly maneuvered her mobility around pylons during the Scooter Rodeo at Elgin Lodge, June 14.
Hub Staff
Residents of Elgin Lodge in Port Elgin practised scooter safety at the annual Scooter Rodeo, presented by Port Elgin Pharmasave Home Health and Mobility with the help of Saugeen Shores Police Constable Rose Witteveen June 14.
Under the Highway Traffic Act scooters are classified as pedestrians and Constable Witteveen answered questions and clarified important information regarding the rules of the road. Points clarified included the requirement of sidewalk use, riding against traffic if there is not a sidewalk and proper precautions at crosswalks.
Experienced and novice riders attended the session and voiced their concerns regarding scooters in Saugeen Shores. Many riders agreed that not enough places in downtown Port Elgin are accessible; while some have mobile accessible ramps that are too small to use.
Some thought that the crosswalk on Goderich Street next to McDonold’s was too quick and not long enough for more than one scooter at a time with many agreeing that slanted curbs in the winter are not shovelled evenly making it hard for scooters to access the sidewalk from the road.
Joe Flaherty of Wardrop Pharmasave’s Home Health and Mobility, who is familiar with many Elgin Lodge residents as he frequently provides tune-ups to their devices, demonstrated the correct way to use the scooter on an outdoor course.
Flarity, along with colleague Jenn Conley, have been holding similar rodeos in the community for the past two years, providing helpful information to users, and held an event at Hampton Court in Southampton earlier this month. “The biggest thing to drive home is to drive on the sidewalks, some of them think that the roadway is theirs to use,” said Flarity.
During the June 14 event, riders had an opportunity to manoeuvre the mobility scooters around pylons and come to controlled stops with Flarity saying that mobility scooters are easy to use. “You do need to have a little bit of confidence...but once they get on and go for five or ten minutes they’re usually pretty good,” he said.
Jack Fotherby showed off his skills on the scooter June 14.
Constable Rose Witteveen explained rules from the Highway Traffic Act at the Scooter Rodeo June 14 at Elgin Lodge.
A handfull of mobility scooter users watched as Joe Flarity Pharmasave’s Home Health and Mobility toured the course at the Scooter Rodeo June 14.
Chuck Dillon won a portable rocking chair donated by Giant Tiger for attending the event.
