The British Healthcare Trades Association (BHTA) and Driving Mobility have published interim guidance for BHTA members about the UK Government’s spring 2024 update called ‘Using mobility scooters and powered wheelchairs’.

This interim guidance has been published by the BHTA and Driving Mobility following a notable (and somewhat confusing) update to the government document around “not in a class” mobility scooters and powerchairs.

“Not in a class” mobility scooters and powerchairs are a new class of mobility vehicle that was introduced in the government’s spring 2024 update. This new class has raised a lot of questions and concerns by BHTA members.

BHTA and Driving Mobility’s interim guidance is designed to help member companies understand the latest government update and outline clearly what the new ‘not in a class’ classification means.

This is followed by a series of questions (as identified by the by BHTA, Driving Mobility, and several member companies) that seek clarification from the government following its most recent update to ‘Using mobility scooters and powered wheelchairs’. The guidance will be updated in due course as the BHTA and Driving Mobility seek answers from relevant government stakeholders.

Download the BHTA guidance document in full here.

The UK Government has updated its guidance about the different classes of mobility scooters and powerchairs, with a new section describing what a “not in a class” vehicle is.

The guidance explains what class 2 and class 3 mobility scooters and powerchairs are. Usually, these devices are class 2 if it has a maximum speed of 4mph or less and class 3 if it has a maximum speed of 8mph.

The guidelines add: “The seller or manufacturer can usually tell you the class of your mobility scooter or powered wheelchair. If they cannot, you can check based on its speed, width and weight.”

Class 2 and 3 mobility scooters and powerchairs can be used on pavements, other pedestrian areas, and cycle tracks.

Class 3 mobility scooters and powerchairs can also be used on the road. These vehicles need to be registered with the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA).

Now, the updated guidance underlines what “not in a class” mobility scooters and powerchairs are.

A not in a class mobility scooter or powerchair are those that can go more than 8mph, are wider than 0.85 metres, and weigh more than 150kg (or 200kg if any equipment is attached to them, like medical equipment).

Not in a class mobility vehicles can only be used on roads. Users must get a valid driving licence to drive one and register their vehicle with the DVLA.

Users may also need to insure their vehicle. More information about insuring or registering mobility scooters and powerchairs can be found here.