Tickets on the rise for mo-ped users

MUNCIE – A new law requiring a state endorsement to ride a 50cc mo-ped or scooter went into effect Jan. 1.

But based on the number of tickets that have been issued in recent weeks, Delaware County Prosecutor Jeffrey Arnold doubts many owners of such vehicles are aware of the new requirement.

“I hate people trying to do the right thing and getting tickets for it,” Arnold said this week. “For years, when you lost your (driver’s) license, that was a means of transportation. ... The law changed without much advertisement.”

Under the new law, those riding “motor-driven cycles of 50 (cubic centimeters) or lower” need a valid driver’s license or driver’s permit — or an unexpired State of Indiana ID card with a Class B motor-driven vehicle endorsement.

That still allows those who have lost their driving privileges to travel by mo-ped, albeit with the newly required endorsement, obtained at local license branches.

Arnold noted that all “motor-driven cycles” must be registered.

To legally operate a Class B motor-driven vehicle, a driver must be at least 15 years old and travel no faster than 35 mph. The vehicles are not to be operated on interstates or sidewalks. Helmets are required for those under the age of 18.

Arnold noted the Muncie Police Department gave local mo-ped riders a grace period of several months before enforcing the new law. “They have started writing tickets,” he said.

MPD Capt. Steve Cox said the number of mo-peds and scooters on city streets was “definitely on the increase.”

With their growing use, there have been more frequent traffic accidents involving the vehicles.

“It’s getting our attention,” he said.

Contact news reporter Douglas Walker at (765) 213-5851. You can also follow him on Twitter @DouglasWalkerSP.