Driving Your Vita Lite - TGA Vita Lite Operating Instructions And Owner's Handbook

6. Driving Your Vita Lite

Care! Warning
The Vita Lite is easy to drive but it is essential that you familiarize yourself with the controls and learn to drive it in
a safe area with sufficient room to manoeuvre for your safety and that of others. The area should be free of
obstacles and reasonably flat. Mark a practice course for straight line driving, turning in confined spaces,
reversing and driving around obstacles.
Driving
Before driving make sure that the Battery has enough charge to complete your journey. Check that the Key is
switched OFF and the seat is locked (see Adjusting & Removing Your Vita Lite Seat) before getting on. Ensure
that the armrests are in the down position.
1. Hold the Tiller with both hands and gently pull the right control lever away towards you to move forward. The
more you pull the lever, the faster you will go. To reverse pull the left control lever, when reversing the speed is
reduced to a maximum of 2mph. Alternatively if you find it more comfortable you can push the left control lever
away from you to move forwards and the push the right control lever away from you to reverse.
2. Releasing the control lever automatically operates the brakes to slow down and stop. Once stopped, the
parking brake will automatically come on.
3. Use the Tiller to steer. Move your left hand towards you to steer left and your right hand towards you to steer
right. When reversing the opposite will apply.
4. To cross the road you should try to find a suitable slope. Your Vita Lite will mount lowered kerbs, but you
should always approach a kerb at right angles (90°). If you are going up you should stop just short of the edge
and select full speed. Then drive until both front and back wheels are on the pavement, then immediately lower
the speed.
If going down, proceed slowly on low setting until on the road, then switch to a suitable higher speed to cross the
road safely. Do not attempt kerbs that are not lowered and do not go up or down at an angle, always 90°. Do
take extra care and if you are going from pavement to road, make sure the road is clear. Anything different to the
above could result in an accident and injury.
5. Watch your Battery Indicator. The distance you can travel depends on many factors, the more slopes, the less
distance you can travel. We recommend that you gradually explore going further each day.
6. Should the battery "run out" before you get home there are two things you can do to avoid being stranded.
Stopping and switching off the KEY for 5 – 10 minutes will allow the battery to "recover" a little power so that you
can proceed further. You can attempt this a number of times. If you are unfortunate and cannot return to home
under the battery power there is a "Free Wheel" device that will allow someone to push you home (see Parking
Brake Release).
7. Range is influenced by many environmental conditions, hills will substantially decrease the range. Establish
what you can obtain around your locality by gradually increasing the distance and checking the battery indicators
at the end of each journey.
9. Reducing the speed will also reduce the power. For climbing obstacles or hills you will need to increase the
speed setting to give the power and then control the speed with the levers.
Parking
1. Before leaving your Vita Lite, switch the ignition off, the tiller display will then turn off. Remove the Key for
security.
2. If your Vita Lite has been used in the Free Wheel mode (see Parking Brake Release), it is VERY IMPORTANT
to re-engage the drive to ensure that the scooter brake is on before you get on.
9. Parking Brake Release
Your Vita Lite is fitted with a manual parking brake release. This is located on the back panel to the left of the
right hand rear wheel. When the lever is pointing up it is set for normal use. When it is pointing down the brake is
released which allows your Vita Lite to be pushed. There will be no power to drive your Vita Lite when the brake
is in this position, however when switched on the Parking Brake Indicator will illuminate to indicate the parking
brake is disengaged. Never release this lever when your Vita Lite is on a slope. Push lever down to regain normal
drive.
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