Scooter Tsunami

Growing Popularity Poses Risks

Suzanna DeLay, a sophomore at the University of Arkansas from Fort Smith, parks her scooter Monday, Nov. 4, 2013, before going to class on the university campus in Fayetteville.
Suzanna DeLay, a sophomore at the University of Arkansas from Fort Smith, parks her scooter Monday, Nov. 4, 2013, before going to class on the university campus in Fayetteville.

FAYETTEVILLE — The number of scooters puttering down Fayetteville’s streets is exploding along with the University of Arkansas’ enrollment.

In 2009, there were 91 scooters registered on campus. The number now tops 1,100.

Andy Gilbride, education and instruction specialist for UA Parking and Transit, said convenience and cost contribute to the increase.

“We went from zero scooter parking to 600 spaces in the last few years,” he said. “Most of our lots are 90 percent full.”They’re a starving college student’s dream at almost 100 miles to the gallon, but safety concerns for the riders and frustration of other drivers also are increasing.

“You always feel like you’re in danger because cars don’t respect you the same way if you’re on a scooter,” said Quentin Daniel, who was previously affiliated with the Fayetteville Revolution Scooter Club.

The Springdale resident has 27 years of experience behind two wheels, but said he’s aware of the risks he faces driving a scooter.

“Sometimes people will wait until you’re right up on them and they’ll pull right out in front of you,” he said. “When you’re lower to the ground, you have to treat every car as if it’s going to hit you.”

On Oct. 31, Fayetteville police were called to a scooter accident in front of Sonic at 2908 N. College Ave. Police Sgt. Craig Stout said a woman driving a Honda Accord was on her phone, turning into the restaurant, when she hit a scooter.

The driver of the scooter suffered “severe trauma,” he said.

“Compared to a vehicle, scooters are absolutely more dangerous,” Stout said. “You don’t have the same level of protection. Typically, you see more of an injury when someone on a scooter wrecks.”

Road Rules

Stout said anyone who rides a scooter is required by law to wear eye protection. Drivers and passengers younger than 21 also must wear helmets. No one younger than 16 driving a scooter can carry a passenger, he added.

Road-legal scooters have engines ranging from 50 to 2,000 cubic centimeters. The more cubic centimeters a scooter has, the bigger the engine and the faster it will generally go. A scooter with an 50cc engine can reach about 35 mph.

Arkansas State Police Trooper Ted Grigson said drivers must be at least 14 to drive a scooter.

Anyone without a driver’s license must obtain a motorized bicycle permit to drive a scooter that’s less than 50cc. If the engine is larger, it’s considered a motorcycle and drivers older than 14 must have a motorcycle endorsement. No one younger than 16 can drive a motorcycle more than 250cc, according to state law.

“You have to have a driver’s license or a permit to drive anything that has an engine, other than an ATV, no matter how old you are,” Grigson said.

Grigson said getting a motorcycle endorsement or a motorized bicycle permit is similar to getting a driver’s license.

“If you don’t have a driver’s license, then you have to get a permit from the licensing department of state police,” he said. “They just make sure you know the rules of the road. “

Grigson said applicants must complete a written exam before completing a basic skills test.

“It’s very easy,” he said. “They just want to make sure you can stop and start without falling over.”

Other than interstates, Stout said scooters can be driven anywhere a car can drive and must obey the same laws. Scooters cannot be driven on sidewalks or trails.

Stout said a common misconception is people with suspended driver’s licenses can legally drive a scooter.

“If you’re driving on a suspended license for an alcohol offense, you can’t drive a scooter,” he said.

Keeping It Safe

Josh Bradshaw, general manager of MopedU, 418 N. College Ave., said he thinks riding a scooter is no more dangerous than riding a bike.

“They’re so light, and the brakes are almost overkill, so you’re never going to flip,” he said. “I’ve been riding for 3 1/2 years, and I’ve had one accident where I had to get off my bike to keep from getting hit. I only ended up with a scraped elbow.”

Stout said the Police Department doesn’t track scooter accidents because both scooter and motorcycle crashes are in the same category.

There were about 60 fatal motorcycle and scooter accidents in Arkansas in 2011, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Nationally, 4,612 motorcyclists were killed in crashes in 2011 — an increase of 2 percent from 2010, according to the safety administration. There were 81,000 motorcyclists injured during 2011, a slight decrease from 82,000 in 2010, according to the agency.

The administration's motorcycle definition includes mopeds, two- or three-wheeled motorcycles, off-road motorcycles, scooters, mini bikes and pocket bikes.

Stout said injuries caused by scooter accidents are often similar to those suffered in a motorcycle crash. They range from road rash to head injuries.

“The advantage scooters have is they don’t get up to the same rates of speed as motorcycles,” he said. “Another difference is you can’t ride a scooter on the interstate, but you can ride a motorcycle.”

Daniel said scooters also are much quieter than motorcycles, making it difficult for drivers to notice them in a blind spot. He said riders can avoid some injuries by wearing the proper gear.

“I often see students wearing flip-flops,” he said. “Shoes that won’t fly off during a wreck are a must. Also, a good pair of riding gloves. Imagine having to put your hands down during a wreck.”

Gary Crain, a lieutenant with the University of Arkansas Police Department, said officers have worked 330 accidents on campus this year. Of those, 14 involved scooters.

“We do have concerns about people not wearing helmets and eye protection,” Crain said. “This month, we wrote 50 tickets for cycle equipment.”

The Trend Is In

Scooters generally have tanks that hold less than 1.5 gallons of gasoline, and they get more than 100 mpg, Bradshaw said. That means $20 could get a student through the entire semester, Gilbride said.

Caleb Bronn, a salesman with MopedU, said the cost of a scooter can range between $1,150 and $2,300, depending on the type of warranty a person chooses.

Craig Murr, a Bentonville resident, said he hasn’t noticed an increase in scooters on the road.

“I do a lot of driving in Benton County, and I don’t encounter a lot of scooters,” he said. “On occasion I have been stuck behind a scooter and have been frustrated at the slow rate of speed.”

Stout said cars can’t pass scooters that are driving slow on a one-lane road. But Grigson said police can ticket a person on a scooter if they “impede the flow of traffic.”

“If they have 50 cars backed up behind them, there’s a statute for driving too slowly,” he said.

J.R. Kline, a salesman with Rainbow Honda in Bentonville, said most of his scooter customers have kids who live in Fayetteville.

“We don’t have people who ride scooters in Bentonville very often,” he said.

Keeping up with the demand has required the university to increase the cost of a parking pass from $7 per semester to about $57, Gilbride said. A basic parking pass for a car is about $85.

“With the increase in scooters, comes the need for more regulations and rules,” he said. “We’ll be looking into that.”

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