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ABC News
ABC News
National
Giselle Wakatama

Disqualified driver charged after allegedly towing boat with mobility scooter

The man said at the time that he wanted to go fishing.

A disqualified NSW driver has been charged with a string of offences after allegedly using a mobility scooter to tow his boat.

Police said the man towed the vessel on October 19, along the Pacific Highway through the lakeside suburb of Belmont, south of Newcastle.

The 35-year-old now faces charges of driving whilst disqualified, using an unregistered vehicle on the road, using an uninsured vehicle on the road, and using an unregistered trailer on the road.

At the time of the incident the man told the media he had wanted to go fishing, but could not drive a car, because he had lost his licence.

The man is due to face court in January.

Strict road rules for mobility scooters

There are strict road safety rules in New South Wales for people using a mobility scooter.

They require riders to limit their speed to 10 kilometres per hour and to prioritise the safety of others.

The footpath and nature strip must also be the primary travel route and people are only meant to drive on the road when the footpath or nature strip is not safe to use.

The mobility unit must also not exceed 110 kilograms unladen.

Senate probe into scooter safety

A Senate inquiry has looked at mobility scooter safety, focusing on the number of deaths and injuries involving mobility scooters.

It also looked at current regulations governing the use of mobility scooters throughout Australia.

The regulatory role of government and non-government bodies was also examined.

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