A Nationals senator has proposed fining mobility scooter users after his wife was seriously injured in a collision on a country town footpath.

Senator John "Wacka" Williams said his partner Nancy Capel, owner of The Bingara Advocate newspaper, was stepping out of her office in regional New South Wales earlier this month when she was hit by a scooter.

Her injuries were serious and she has now undergone surgery for a total hip replacement.

"[She] took literally one step out of the office and the gopher hit her," Senator Williams told ABC radio after the accident.

"One of the staff looked out and all she saw was Nancy literally airborne and she landed on her left hip and just smashed her left hip to pieces.

"What if she had landed on her head? I could be preparing a funeral today."

The senator has called for tougher regulation of scooter drivers in the wake of the crash, but stressed he did not want to see them banned, given the important role they played in helping people with mobility issues getting around.

Mobility scooters limited to 'walking pace' in UK

The New South Wales Government's Centre for Road Safety said motorised wheelchairs or "mobility aids" did not have to be registered or require third party insurance.

Drivers do not need a licence either, but the centre said gophers must not have the capacity to go above 10 kilometres per hour.

Those operating the scooters are also expected to obey pedestrian road rules.

"I think we need to see some regulation to keep them away from the point of entry into the shops and the offices where people are walking in and walking out," Senator Williams said.

He pointed to the more stringent speed limits in the United Kingdom, where mobility scooters are limited to "walking pace" or about six kilometres per hour on footpaths.

He has spoken to the local council about extra measures that could be put in place to avoid future collisions.

"Perhaps a couple of thin lines down towards the kerb away from the doors where they can travel along on that," Senator Williams suggested.

"And if they don't travel in that area perhaps an on-the-spot fine of $20, which would be a huge amount of money to a pensioner."