Showing posts with label motorized shopping cart. Show all posts
Showing posts with label motorized shopping cart. Show all posts

Thursday, October 21, 2010

Motorized shopping cart

Motorized shopping cart

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A motorized shopping cart in a supermarket
A motorized shopping cart (also known as electric shopping cart) is a shopping cart equipped with an electric motor and navigational controls. It includes a seat (often times equipped with an occupant seat switch activating movement of the motorized shopping cart from the occupant's weight) thereby also making it a motorized wheelchair, and it has a rechargeable battery that can be charged by plugging in the device when not in use in order to maximize usage. Motorized shopping carts are provided by supermarkets and other large retail stores for those with permanent or temporary physical disabilities who may have difficulty walking through a large store or pushing a regular cart[1][2][3].
The first motorized shopping carts were manufactured by Amigo Mobility International Inc, in Bridgeport, Mich. Fred Meijer was the first retailer to introduce motorized shopping carts in his Flint, Mich. Meijer location in 1970. Since then, multiple manufacturers have developed these products for those with walking difficulties worldwide.
Sage Industries in Arkansas introduced their product in Klein's Supermarket in Tomball, Texas in 1985[4][5]. They have since expanded to numerous other stores around the world and benefited many with various disabilities and even pregnant women.
Many of the customers who use motorized shopping carts are not full-time wheelchair users, but find shopping easier using the device since a regular cart may be harder to push, especially when filled with merchandise, and walking through a large store may be cumbersome for one who is able to walk only short distances on their own power.

Contents

[hide]

[edit] Issues

[edit] Theft

While shopping cart theft has also been a costly matter for retailers, the higher cost of the motorized carts makes their theft a greater issue to the store, and thereby leads stores to establish policies prohibiting the carts from exiting stores, even though a disabled person may have the need to bring the cart all the way to their vehicle.
In May 2009, a Florida man was charged with felony theft of a motorized cart due to its $2500 value. He was caught not far from the store, riding the cart[6]. Had a non-electric cart been stolen, the theft would have been a misdemeanor.
In the same month, two South Carolina men were charged with the theft of a cart, and likewise faced felony charges due to it value over $2000[7].

[edit] Injuries

There has been concern over the carts leading to injuries when used by those who do not know how to control them well. The injuries can occur to the user if s/he crashes into an object with the cart, or to a person the user crashes into. To reduce the risk of injury, most carts have a back-up warning system similar to those found on trucks.
In Illinois in 2008, a $50,000 lawsuit was filed by a woman who was hit by a cart steered by an employee of a supermarket[8]. The woman claimed she sustained hip injuries as a result[9][10].

[edit] Permission to use

While these carts are generally reserved for the disabled, most stores will take one's word for being a disabled person and will not challenge one's need for a cart. But there have been some cases reported in which a person with a non-visible disability has requested the use of a motorized cart, but has been denied the use by store employees who do not believe the customer has a disability.
There has also been concern over minors using the carts. In January 2009, a Wal-Mart store in Tennessee did not allow an 11-year-old girl with a broken leg to use a motorized cart, despite the fact that she had been allowed by other stores to use them.
Also of concern is who should have priority in using the cart. In August 2009, a 28-year-old man was charged with battery when he pushed an 86-year-old man out of a motorized cart when the 86-year-old man allegedly took a motorized cart that the 28-year-old's mother was using.[11].

[edit] In popular culture

[edit] See also

[edit] External links

[edit] References

  1. ^ Mart Carts help benefit disabled persons, The Victoria Advocate - Aug 8, 1993
  2. ^ Electric shopping carts serve growing number of consumers.
  3. ^ Electric shopping carts add convenience, Rome News-Tribune - Apr 15, 2002
  4. ^ Shopping made easy for handicapped, Gainesville Sun - Jun 19, 1985
  5. ^ There are special carts for handicapped shoppers, The Evening Independent - Jun 19, 1985
  6. ^ Late-Night Joyride On Motorized Shopping Cart Lands Man In Jail, May 01, 2009
  7. ^ 2 Arrested In Shopping Cart Theft, May 12, 2009
  8. ^ http://www.pioneerlocal.com/lakeforest/news/1778897,lawsuit-sunset-foods-091809-s1.article[dead link]
  9. ^ Woman Hit By Shopping Cart Sues Jewel
  10. ^ Herniated nucleus pulposis injury claimed in Wal-Mart shopping cart incident, 9/15/2009
  11. ^ Suspect pushes man, 86, out of Wal-Mart cart, August 7, 2009
  12. ^ By Michael JanusonisJournal Arts Writer (2009-01-16). "Movie Review: ‘Mall Cop’ would have been a decent TV sitcom | projo.com | The Providence Journal | Movie Reviews". projo.com. http://www.projo.com/movie_reviews//lb_paulblart_01-16-09_5MCUQPN_v6.2de1c51.html. Retrieved 2010-07-29. 
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Mobility scooter

Mobility scooter

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  (Redirected from Electric scooter (mobility aid))
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Two people using mobility scooters at a zoo.
A mobility scooter is a mobility aid equivalent to a wheelchair but configured like a motorscooter. It is often referred to as a power-operated vehicle/scooter or electric scooter as well.

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Description

A mobility scooter has a seat over 3 or 4 wheels, a flat area for the feet, and handlebars in front to turn one or two steerable wheels. The seat may swivel to allow access when the front is blocked by the handlebars. Mobility scooters are usually battery powered. A battery or two is stored on board the scooter and is charged via an onboard or separate battery charger unit from standard electric power. Gasoline-powered scooters may also available in some countries, though they are rapidly being replaced by electric models. Do not confuse a mobility scooter with a wheelchair as they are for very different needs
The tiller, with forward/reverse directions and speed controls, is the steering column centrally located at the front of the scooter. Forward/reverse direction can be controlled by thumb paddles, finger controls, or a switch. There are two types of mobility scooters: front-wheel drive (FD) or rear-wheel drive (RD). The FD is usually a smaller device and is best used indoors. Rider weight capacity is generally upwards to 250 pounds maximum. The RD is used both indoors and outdoors with rider weight capacity of 350 pounds. A heavy duty rear-drive can carry up to 500 pounds, varying by manufacturer.
Allan R. Thieme invented the first mobility scooter in 1968, in Bridgeport, Michigan. Thieme was personally motivated to create this product to help a family member diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. This first mobility scooter, a front-wheel drive model, was conceived and built at his home. The Amigo, as it was brand-named, initiated the entire “scooter” industry. Today, Amigo Mobility International Inc headquarters are located in Bridgeport, Mich.

Advantages

Assistive and small sit-down motor scooters provide important advantages to people with mobility problems throughout the world. A scooter is useful for persons without the stamina or arm/shoulder flexibility necessary to use a manual wheelchair. Also, swiveling the seat of an electric scooter is generally easier than moving the foot supports on most conventional wheelchairs. A mobility scooter is very helpful for persons with systemic or whole-body disabling conditions (coronary or lung issues, some forms of arthritis, obesity, etc.) who are still able to stand and walk a few steps, sit upright without torso support, and control the steering tiller.
A major selling point of mobility scooters for many users is that they do not look like a wheelchair, disability still being seen by many as a negative or somehow shameful. Mobility scooters are in general more affordable than powered wheelchairs, leading to them being procured as a cheaper alternative.

Limitations

While a mobility scooter eliminates much of the manual strength problems of an unpowered wheelchair, its tiller steering mechanism still requires upright posture, shoulder and hand strength, and some upper-body mobility and strength. The arm-rest mounted controller typical of powerchair designs may be more suitable for many users. Other drawbacks of mobility scooters are their longer length, which limits their turning radius and ability to use some lifts or wheelchair-designed access technologies such as kneeling bus lifts. Often a mobility scooter has a low ground clearance which can make it difficult to navigate certain obstacles, such as travelling in cities without proper curb cuts. Navigating in restricted spaces, whether in the home or in public spaces and buildings can also be a problem. Scooters also have fewer options for body support, such as head or leg rests. They are rarely designed for ease of patient transfer from seat to bed. These limitations may prevent some disabled individuals from using scooters. In addition, scooter limitations may vary depending on model and manufacturer. A limitation of one make/model does not necessarily carry over to all. Individual needs may affect the suitability of a particular model.
Currently in the United States, Medicare will not approve a power wheelchair for persons who do not need to use the chair "inside their own home", even if their medical needs restrict the use of a mobility scooter. For example, a person with severe arthritis of both shoulders and hands may not be the best candidate for a scooter, but because they can walk a few steps in their own home, such persons are not seen as approved candidates for a power wheelchair either. Various disability rights groups are campaigning for Medicare to change this policy. For those who do qualify for Medicare, they can reimburse up to 80% of the total value of the scooter.[1]
Similar restrictions on NHS powerchair provision exist in the UK, with manual wheelchairs prescribed for users with any ability to walk. This has led to many users who might be better served by a powerchair privately procuring a mobility scooter as a cheaper substitute.

Legal issues

In the UK mobility scooters are classified by The Use of Invalid Carriages on Highways Regulations 1988 as either Class II or Class III Invalid Carriages for legal purposes. A Class II scooter must be limited to 4 mph for use on a footway only, while a Class III scooter must be limited to 8 mph for road/highway use and have an additional 4 mph limiter for footway use. As of March 2010 a government consultation is underway to determine how the law should adapt to increasing scooter use, whether higher road speeds should be allowed and on a replacement for the archaic term 'invalid carriage'. Due to concerns over safety issues and problems with bringing prosecutions against irresponsible users under existing laws, the consultation will also consider whether to make third party insurance mandatory, consider the introduction of compulsory training for users and discuss how to bring scooter users under wider road traffic legislations.
Disability Bracknell told the Committee about four deaths resulting from mobility scooter accidents in one year in Bracknell alone, but there is little evidence to suggest that fatalities on this scale are replicated nationwide.[2]

See also

References

  1. ^ Medicare Reimbursement
  2. ^ [http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200910/cmselect/cmtran/414/414.pdf

External links

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