The government has asked the road safety research foundation SWOV to look into the safety of mobility scooters, after reports that they have dangerous braking systems, the AD reported on Tuesday.

The researchers will look at the technology behind the scooters as well as the rules for use, such as maximum speeds and which part of the road they should stick to, the paper said.

Television consumers show Kassa reported earlier this week that one reason so many mobility scooter users are killed may be due to the braking system.

The technology is similar to that used by the electric wagons used to transport children, known as the Stint. Stints have been banned from the Dutch roads pending safety checks.

In total 38 mobility scooter users were killed in 2016 and 1,600 were taken to hospital after accidents.

Last year political party 50Plus called for the introduction of a sort of driver’s license for mobility scooter users, but the idea was dismissed by the government pending research into the accident rate.