Have medical screenings for eyesight and seizures. Be sure your corrected vision is 20/40 or better, in one or both eyes. If not, then obtain glasses or other correction before using any motorized vehicle. If subject to unexpected fainting or seizures, do not drive any powered vehicle.

Know your medical diagnosis and prognosis. You need this information for your ongoing safety. Your functional condition, today, may be compatible with safe use of a motorized scooter. But, how long will this last? When will the scooter become unsafe for your use? If the prognosis is for rapid disability progression, it may be better to obtain a power wheelchair - not a motorized scooter. Or, if the scooter is safe for you to use, now, then, how often do you need to be re-evaluated by a physician or therapist to ensure it continues to be safe for you to use the scooter? Are you willing to stop using the scooter when your worsening condition makes it unsafe for you?

Do research and obtain product literature on the various make and model scooters available in your area. It is better to consider only those products sold and serviced by medical equipment dealers or manufacturers' representatives in your area. DO NOT BUY FROM THEM, YET. Only get literature at this time. Rule out products lacking local support. DO NOT buy by mail!

Contact a Local Registered OCCUPATIONAL THERAPIST (OTR) in your area, preferably in the Rehabilitation Department at a hospital or rehabilitation center near you. Plan on and discuss your need for two or three appointments: (a) for a preliminary wheelchair clinic evaluation for a Motorized Scooter, if appropriate, or for a Power Wheelchair. Ask that they have both appliances on hand for you to try. Most of the testing will be by an OTR, under medical supervision by a physician who specializes in rehabilitation medicine. (b) the same OTR should be asked to schedule a visit to your home to inspect the premises for equipment suitability and user safety. This can be without any equipment - or, it may be with a scooter brought by the OTR - or, the OTR may request a local scooter vendor to bring a particular model scooter to your residence for on-site testing and user training. If this on-site equipment testing is not done on the second appointment, then a third appointment (c) should be made with the OTR and the vendor for these purposes. It is strongly recommended that the final scooter trials, before ordering, be done in the user's home with both the OTR and the sales person present. If done at and in the residence, outside test driving should also be done by the user in the actual scooter to be ordered to assure safety and compatibility with the nearby pavements and sidewalks.

When a motorized scooter is being ordered, be certain that one person is designated in writing, to be responsible for the overall fit of the equipment, including all prescribed modifications, adjustments and accessories (such as special grips, handles or reaching tools, etc.) Usually, the responsible person is the local vendor or dispenser. Sometimes, however, it is the clinic or therapist rather than the vendor. This must be defined and detailed in writing. For user safety and comfort, we recommend several VISION AIDS: (a) One or two rear-view mirrors are recommended. For scooters having a handlebar, it is simple and effective to buy and attach two inexpensive clamp-on rear-view mirrors ... such as those sold for bicycles. One or two mirrors can usually be attached in some way to a scooter having a tiller or steering wheel. (b) In bright sunny climates where a lot of outdoor daytime use is planned, we recommend that scooter users wear gradient-tinted sunglasses, prescription or plain, as the eye doctor recommends. The graduated tint (darker at top and lighter going down the lens) is best colored gray or brown. Greens, blues and reds are best avoided.

When the motorized scooter has finally been ordered and is to be delivered, the user may be asked to visit the dispenser's shop for final adjustments. This is fine. However, it is recommended that final delivery be at the user's residence with both the OTR and the vendor present. This facilitates final adjustments, any additionally needed user training - especially outdoors, and also needed technical training. The user and a family member, neighbor or friend, should be shown - with the user - how to disassemble and store the scooter and its detachable parts. How to re-assemble and adjust everything; how and how often to recharge the battery; how and when to perform equipment inspections and maintenance. SCHEDULES: A schedule should be agreed upon for professional inspections and services by the vendor. AND ... If the user has a progressive disability, a schedule of periodic re-evaluations by the OTR should be agreed upon. These might be once every 6 months or 3 months, for example, or once a year - as the OTR feels best.

Personalized equipment adjustments should have been made by the vendor, with the knowledge and approval of the OTR. Actual settings should be recorded in writing in a log, with dates, for future reference. These settings would include these items, plus others: (a) height of seat to place user's legs at correct height for the foot rests; (b) height of manual steering control; (c) location of hand braking control for driving; (d) locations of hand parking brake levers; (e) location of seat rotation locking mechanism; (e) location of controls for parking brakes, if any; (f) locations of rear-view mirrors; etc. It is important to keep written records of all user-settings so that any that become altered can easily be restored.

Source: Motorized Scooters and User Safety by the National Institute for Rehabilitation Engineering