Times are so tough that some drivers are ditching their cars and using mobility scooters instead. According to The Sun, motorists are turning to the electric scooters because they don’t need fuel, tax or insurance.

The Department for Transport is investigating after a spike in sales was noticed.There’s nothing illegal about an able-bodied person driving a mobility scooter, although Transport Minister Norman Baker says that the vehicles are “not there to be misused.”

Mobility scooters come in two states of tune: a 4mph version for use on footpaths, and the ‘turbo’ version, which can hit 8mph and can be used on the road as long as it’s fitted with working lights.

And then there’s this one, which does 70mph.

Mobility scooters are widely available, and a brand new one can be picked up from an electrical store for about £1,000.

Alison Seabeck, Labour MP for Plymouth, recently called for something to be done about the mobility scooter free-for-all, suggesting basic training for all users, and that accident records be kept when they crash – something that the Government says will happen from next year.

Charity Scoot-A-Long backs the campaign, because it will ensure mobility scooter users can “get about and enjoy life safely,” according to spokesman Peter Baldacchino, talking to the BBC; a 79-year-old was killed last year when his mobility scooter overturned.

However, an obligation to be trained might prohibit some elderly and disabled people from using them.