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Steve Sumner Says: "A moped driver can be written a DUI, and it is no different than being on a motorcycle or any other motor vehicle. Any exclusion that might have applied is no longer there."
Courtesy of GreenvilleOnline.com
Drunken-driving convicts and teens as young as 14 are among those who can legally drive mopeds on the same state roads traveled by cars, SUVs and tractor-trailers.
Five people have died in moped-related wrecks on Upstate roads this year, including three in one recent weekend alone. Six died in all of 2008.
Mopeds are among the most unregulated vehicles on the state's roads.
State law makes it legal to drive a moped on a suspended license for six months. After that, drivers need a moped license, but all they have to do is pass an eye exam and show they understand highway signs and traffic laws.
Tim Crumley, co-owner of The Scooter Shop in Simpsonville, said mopeds fill a transportation void, helping people look for work and drive to jobs once they have them.
"If someone doesn't have a license, that's their only option," he said.
Riders as young as 14 can get a moped license. Only those under 21 are required to wear a helmet.
State law defines a moped as a cycle with a motor no larger than 50 cubic centimeters. Mopeds shouldn't be able to go more than 30 mph on level ground, according to the law.
They can travel anywhere a car does, except for interstates and "controlled access" roads," such as U.S. 123 between Easley and Clemson, said Lance Cpl. Kathy Hiles of the Highway Patrol.
Crumley said mopeds, as classified by the state, are dangerous because they don't have the power to keep up with traffic.
Legislators, he said, should increase mopeds' minimum engine size to 150 cubic centimeters, which would bump their top speed to about 55 mph.
"You can stay with the flow of traffic," Crumley said. "You're not ever going to be a hindrance to traffic."
A new moped costs as little as $699 and gets 95 miles to the gallon, Crumley said. They're easier to control than many motorcycles, he said.
With their current horsepower requirements, mopeds should heed bicycle laws on busy roads, cramming to the right, Hiles said. Drivers of more powerful vehicles can pass if they leave a cushion of at least five feet, she said.
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