FAYETTEVILLE -- The Police Department is reminding residents of a new ordinance requiring scooter drivers to insure their vehicles.
The law went into effect Sunday, but, according to a department news release, officers won't start issuing citations for driving without insurance until July 11.
The law, enacted by the City Council last month, requires basic liability insurance for drivers of all "motorized bicycles, motor scooters and mopeds" within the city.
State law doesn't require licensing or insurance for vehicles of less than 50 cubic centimeters. Aldermen noted the growing number of scooter drivers -- and scooter wrecks -- as reasons for a local law.
There were 146 wrecks in the city involving scooters over the past three years, according to statistics from the University of Arkansas and Fayetteville police departments. Thirty-eight, or 26 percent, of the scooters involved in the wrecks were insured.
Alderman Alan Long, who sponsored the scooter insurance ordinance, said drivers shouldn't have to file a claim on their insurance policy if they're involved in a collision caused by a scooter.
"I don't think that a Vespa is going to take out a Buick," Long said. "But, at the same time, it's operating on a public street and can cause a major liability to other drivers."
Violators of the new ordinance will face the same penalties as other motorists caught driving without insurance, said Mike Reynolds, deputy police chief. Fines range from $70 to $165, depending on whether violators can show proof of insurance between the time they are pulled over and their court date.
Alex Baldwin, a State Farm Insurance agent, has estimated it costs about $5 or $10 per month to insure a scooter, depending on an individual's driving record. Policies cost more if medical expenses are covered.
"I pay $75 a year for my (scooter)," said Mike Lyman, manager of MopedU, a scooter dealer at 418 College Ave. "It's a small price to pay to be covered."
NW News on 05/14/2015