In the UK, 20,000 mobility scooters are stolen every year, with only 14% of stolen mobility scooters being recovered. Interestingly 80% of mobility scooter thefts are from the owners home, 50% of owners do not lock their scooters.
Every mobility scooter owner knows how much of an essential lifeline their vehicle is to them. Keeping your mobility scooter safe and secure will be a top priority so you can continue to enjoy the freedom, flexibility and independence they offer.
Here are some quick tips to keep your mobility scooter safe:
1) Keep the mobility scooter locked
Keep you mobility scooter locked at all times when not in use, even if you are just leaving it for a short time. Chains and padlocks, disk locks, U-locks, alarms and immobilisers are all good deterrents.
The top safety tip is to keep your mobility scooter locked when not in use – even when you step away and leave it unattended while you go into a shop or a cafe for a few minutes. Fitting a keyring bell to your ignition key will help you remember to remove the key and take it with you.
Many mobility scooter models come with a feature to enable you to lock the steering. If you can do this, it will give you an extra layer of protection for leaving your scooter unattended.
Remember to take any valuables with you when you leave your scooter alone, even for a couple of minutes while you pop inside a shop.
2) Use a mobility scooter alarm
Mobility scooter alarms are cost-effective to buy and easy to fit on your scooter. The alarm will sound should anyone try to access your scooter while the alarm is switched on. These alarms emit a loud sound to alert passers-by and can effectively deter anyone trying to make off with your scooter.
The remote control has a range of up to 20 meters. IP55 waterproof great for outdoor. 113db sound alarm.
3) Use a wheel clamp or lock
For years, wheel clamps and locks have been successful security tools used by cyclists to keep their bikes safe. Wheel clamps and locks work equally as well on mobility scooters, and fitting one will prevent anyone from trying to push your scooter away when left unattended.
Wheel clamps and locks attach to the wheel, so using one is a good idea if you are able to bend down to secure it in place. There are many variations of wheel locks you can use, such as security chains, U-locks and disk locks, and all are cost-effective to buy and will give you years of service.
It can help to fix wheel locks to a solid, fixed object such as a lamp post, railings or metal posts to give your scooter an extra layer of security.
The copper in the lock core makes it difficult to pick, and effectively prevents theft. This lock has a galvanized and waterproof coating that makes it easy to use in rainy days. The combination is easy to use and the lock is very sturdy.
4) Invest in a tracking device
There are a number of vehicle trackers on the market that can be discretely fitted to your mobility scooter. They use GPS tracking technology and will alert your smartphone of its location should your scooter ever go missing.
While adding a tracker won’t necessarily prevent its theft, it will quickly alert you to its whereabouts and make it easier for you and the police to recover.
5) Keep your scooter within sight
Try to park and secure your mobility scooter within clear sight whenever possible. If you are popping into a cafe for a few minutes, you can park it in front of the cafe window so you can keep an eye on it.
If you need to park the scooter somewhere out of sight, try to choose a busy place with lots of people around to make it more difficult for a potential thief to make off with it without being noticed.
6) Change your routines
There could be instances where thieves target your mobility scooter. This means they will learn your routine and will work out the best time to attempt to take your scooter. This is why it makes sense to change up your routine to make it more difficult for would-be thieves to target your scooter.
7) Keep it safe at home
Keeping your scooter safe at home should also be a priority. Try to keep it parked out of sight of the road. Thieves very often walk / drive around neighborhood to find easy items to steal. Keeping it locked up inside your garage or garden shed will be safer than leaving it parked outside your house. Use a cover over your mobility scooter if it is kept outside.
8) Use a mobility scooter shed or full cover
If you have no option but to leave it outside your home, keep it covered over with a protective weatherproof scooter cover and keep it locked up with a wheel clamp or lock at all times. You can also buy a purpose-built mobility scooter shed to keep your vehicle safe if you have the space at home.
9) Remove the spark plug or HT cap
Another unusual way to prevent your mobility scooter being stolen is to remove the spark plug or HT cap, it’s quick, easy and doesn’t cost you a penny.
10) Take out insurance with anti-theft benefit
Taking out mobility scooter insurance is a sensible decision. While insuring your vehicle won’t prevent it from being stolen, it will help to cover the cost of repairs to your scooter should it be recovered with damage or to replace it completely should you be unable to recover it.
You can get lower insurance premiums through anti-theft benefits when you take the steps mentioned above to reduce or eliminate the risks of your mobility scooter from being stolen.
Last update on 2024-04-20 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
One method I did use on my last motorcycle was having an anti-theft alarmed padlock, measuring 15cm from seat base. I needed to drill out 2 holes, extending the manual release, to mean it looked difficult and too much hassle. I found the alarm padlock from that good old place we love to hate sometimes, yes Amazon. They are not easy, in fact impossible, to pick. Lock is oval shape from side. Hope it helps.