4mph - the new speed limit imposed on Britain's 250,000 mobility scooters

A 4mph limit for pavement use and 8mph on the road will be set out in the next edition of the Highway Code, to be published in the autumn.

For the first time, the Code will also include rules governing the safe use of the scooters. A new 11-paragraph section will require riders to give way to pedestrians and "show consideration for other pavement-users".

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The move comes after The Mail on Sunday highlighted the tragic case of Margaret Quarrell, who was knocked down and crushed by a scooter while she was shopping in a pedestrian precinct near her home in Barking, East London.

The machine landed on top of her, pinning her to the pavement with the rider still in his seat. She died later in hospital after contracting the MRSA superbug. The culprit has not been traced, despite a police investigation.

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Mrs Quarrell's daughter, Carol Corrigan, said last night: "If these rules had been in place earlier, my mother might still be alive. There can be no more excuses. Scooter owners must take responsibility for their actions."

Liberal Democrat MP Bob Russell, who has campaigned on the issue, said: "This is the first positive recognition by the Government that there is a problem here. I welcome this new section of the Highway Code but there is still a great deal of uncertainty about insurance and the suitability of riders to handle these machines."

With a 26-stone scooter capable of carrying a weight of up to 39 stone - plus the weekly shopping in a specially fitted basket - critics say the vehicles pose a potentially lethal threat to pedestrians.

There is no requirement for any safety inspection and users are free to start riding on the pavement or road without any training, health assessment or eyesight check. Insurance is voluntary, which means anyone hurt in an accident has little chance of winning financial compensation.

Although the machines are intended for the elderly and infirm, riders do not need to be registered disabled or be OAPs. The only legal requirement is to be over the age of 14.

Under the current regulations, mobility scooters capable of going faster than 4mph must be registered with the Government's Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency as a Class 3 invalid carriage. Very few owners are believed to have done so and the DVLA says it does not know how many have been registered.

The updated version of the Highway Code is still only in draft form while the Department for Transport continues its consultation process. But the new edition is expected to include these rules for mobility scooter users:

lPavements are safer than roads and should be used when available. Riders should give pedestrians priority and show consideration for other pavement-users.

lPowered wheelchairs and scooters MUST NOT travel faster than 4mph on pavements or in pedestrian areas. Riders may need to reduce speed to adjust to other pavement-users who may not be able to move out of their way quickly enough or where the pavement is too narrow.

lRiders must take care when travelling on the road as they may be travelling more slowly than other traffic and may be less visible.

A spokesman for the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents said last night: "We are pleased to see these rules will be published for the first time."