Last Updated: Wednesday, June 30, 2004 10:35 AM CDT
Motorized scooters don't meet road-safety guidelines
By Daily News staff
Wisconsin Dept. of Transportation (DOT) has issued a reminder for operators of individual electric or gas-powered motorized scooters, a reminder echoed by the Rhinelander Police Dept.: The scooters do not meet National Highway Traffic Safety Commission standards for motor vehicle safety.
As a result, the scooters cannot be registered and cannot be operated on any street or sidewalk within a roadway's right-of-way.
"Federal law requires that all vehicles manufactured for use on highways and sold in this country meet federal safety equipment standards," Paul Nilsen of the DOT's Office of General Counsel said. "Most motorized scooters do not meet those safety standards and are not designed for highway operation. The law treats them just like lawn tractors, all-terrain vehicles, go-carts, mini-bikes and other off-road vehicles."
Nilsen said that the motorized scooters can be operated on private property where the owner has given consent but noted that anyone operating a small motorized scoter on a street or sidewalk without a drivers license could face charges for operating a motor vehicle without a drivers license. For juveniles, such a citation can result in ineligibility for a drivers license when they turn 16.
Sgt. John Hirsch said that drivers of the motorized scooters in the City of Rhinelander face a dilemma regarding laws regulating motorized vehicle traffic. "Drivers of these vehicles can be cited for driving a motorized vehicle on a sidewalk or riding a motorized scooter on a public highway," Hirsch said.
"There is virtually no place in the city where an operator can operate one of these vehicles," he added, noting that pedestrian paths in the city's parks are considered sidewalks.
The fine for the first offense of driving a motor vehicle on a sidewalk is $156, and the fine for riding a motorized scooter on a public highway, first offense, is $143.
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