Short Description

Information regarding registration and compulsory third party insurance and motorised (powered) wheelchairs. This information also applies to motorised three and four wheeled scooters.

More Details

Registration requirements
In NSW, motorised wheelchairs that weigh less than 110 kg and cannot travel at more than 10 km/h do not have to be registered, provided they are being used by a person with mobility problems. A person driving a motorised wheelchair under these circumstances is defined as a pedestrian under the Australian Road Rules and is permitted to travel on a footpath or nature strip adjacent to the road.

Vehicles exempt from registration are covered by the nominal defendant scheme (administered by the Motor Accidents Authority) if they are at fault in an accident in NSW on a road or road related area and cause injury to another person. However, this cover is only valid in NSW.

CTP Coverage for Registered Personal Mobility Vehicles:
Any vehicle which must be registered must also have Compulsory Third Party (CTP) insurance. CTP insurance will cover the at fault owner / driver for damages payable to another person / persons injured in a motor accident which occurs on a road or road related area.
For vehicles weighing more than 110kg and travelling faster than 10km/hr, the RTA issue a Conditional Registration Certificate with in built CTP coverage. (There is a fee for this which is renewable annually).

Insurance
There are two types of cover to consider: firstly, property cover against the motorised wheelchair being stolen or damaged; and secondly, public liability cover should the user injure or damage the property of others.

The personal liability cover extended as part of a Home Contents Insurance Policy is the best option for coverage not given by the nominal defendant. Not all insurers offer this extended cover.

Ask your insurer the following questions. If you don't like what you hear, shop around.

. Do you have a policy that will cover my motorised wheelchair if it is damaged or stolen?
. Will this policy also provide
cover for damage my motorised wheelchair may cause others, including personal and property damage?
. Does the cover extend 'outside the site [my home] and within Australia' and what is the value of this cover? (Typically, it should be $10 m.)
. Am I covered on public roads, as well as private property?
. Are there any exemptions?