Mobility scooters - All-terrain mobility scooter
Most mobility scooters are designed with urban travel in mind. This means that they expect to encounter the typical smooth constructed surfaces of pavements, sidewalks and roads that are typical of towns and cities.
However some people would like to take their mobility scooters into rural environments and enjoy the scenery. Others live in more remote locations where travelling on unmade surfaces or uneven pathways is a necessity of daily life. In both cases an all terrain mobility scooter is an option worth considering.
What is an all-terrain mobility scooter?
All terrain mobility scooters are intended for use in more demanding conditions than those normally encountered in cities and their special design caters for this.
These scooters, sometimes called "off road" mobility scooters, have a number of design features that are intended to deal with rougher travel surfaces, undulating paths and muddy or broken paths and tracks. In short they are a tougher, more robust and hard wearing version of a regular scooter. They are the Land Rover or Jeep of the mobility scooter world.
All-terrain mobility scooters will normally have the following features that make them more able to cope with difficult surfaces.
- Bigger wheels with large diameters and wider treads.
- Tyres that are inflatable and that have a deeper "all terrain" tread that is more able to grip on loose, uneven or slippery surfaces.
- Full mudguards that prevent the spray up of dirt, water and potentially dangerous loose debris.
- Strengthened suspension.
- A stronger chassis (frame) than a regular scooter.
- A more outdoor appearance than a regular scooter. The larger wheels and engrained tread make them look like the Quad bike of mobility scooters.
These scooters will always have four wheels.
Where can they be used?
It is important to remember that a mobility scooter is not "a do anything" or "go anywhere" vehicle. It does have limitations and even scooters designed for differing terrains will still be restricted in their use.
Most all-terrain scooters are intended for the usual mobility applications, but additionally they will also perform in situations like parks, country paths, lawns and gardens, as well as path surfaces that are uneven or muddy.
This means that they are ideal for family days out where a rural walk, or travelling across a lawn or well maintained country walking path is on the agenda.
As with all mobility scooters it is important to check the manufacturers "guidelines for use" of the model that you are considering. All-terrain mobility scooters will also be more expensive than conventional scooters.
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