People who use mobility scooters, such as the elderly and the disabled, have a much greater chance of dying in a traffic accident than other road users, figures from the infrastructure ministry show.

Although there are no figures about how many mobility scooters are in use, the number of fatalities averages some 40 a year, minister Mark Harbers said

In 2019, 42 people died in accidents involving mobility scooters while the figures fell to 34 and 32 in 2020 and 2022 respectively because of the pandemic restrictions.

According to statistics agency CBS an estimated 275 scooter users die per billion kilometres traveled, over six times the rate for motorbike riders and over 20 times higher than cyclists.

Despite the greater risk, the minister said he is not going to introduce a driving licence for users as some campaigners have urged.

‘A mobility scooter it is often the only way to get about independently. For that reason compulsory training is not something that is being contemplated.’ Harbers said.