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Setting the record straight about scooter regulations

I'm talking about the scooters and motorcycles that everyone seemsto be buying in the battle against high gas prices. Police haveseen an increase in the number and frequency of collisionsinvolving these vehicles.There is a corresponding increase in the number of people thatdon't seem to be aware of the laws in place regulating scooters.One mother called from Las Vegas and asked about the scooter lawsfor her child coming to Dixie State College. She "knew" that ascooter under 50ccs didn't need a motorcycle license and she askedabout the number of crashes and the safety of these small vehicles.She was wrong about the need for a motorcycle license, by the way.A man had a scooter with a 2-horsepower electric motor and he saidhe was told it didn't need to be registered because it was an electric bicycle. with a small engine not more than 1,000 wattsand not able to go more than 20 mph. A driver's license is neededbut no registration is required. The man in the example above had avehicle without pedals and his could not be human-powered alone.A personal motorized mobility device is the Segway type, with two,side-by-side wheels. No registration or DL is required for these,either.For anything else with a motor and two wheels, a driver's licensewith motorcycle endorsement is needed and it must be registered.Even a moped under 50cc's needs a motorcycle endorsement.There is a new, tiered license system for motorcycles. Under 90cc,under 250cc, under 650cc and 650ccs and above. This means that ifyou take a 350 down to take the test, you will be limited in whatyou can drive. Contact the Driver License Division for specificdetails.Motorists must become more aware as these vehicles, along with newriders, take to the streets. We must allow them full use of theentire lane that they are in and not slide up alongside them sothat a right turn can be made. They can stop faster than a car sowe must back off. They will avoid road hazards rather than drivingthrough them, so we must be prepared for these slower or moreevasive moves as we encounter gravel or dirt on the road.As motorcyclists, we must be assertive - do not substitute"aggressive" here - and make our presence known by not driving onthe edge of the road, by making eye contact with drivers that mightbe turning in front of us, by anticipating drivers not seeing us asthey pull out onto our street or change lanes in front of us. I'vealmost been hit twice by drivers at my side that didn't see mypolice motorcycle and changed lanes with less than a foot to sparebetween our vehicles. I haven't told my wife this yet, so keep itto yourself. Never hang out in any driver's blind spot.The use of a helmet, required under the age of 18, is stronglyurged and highly recommended. So are the motorcycle trainingcourses available through Dixie State College and other privateproviders. Nothing can replace good, common sense, which, accordingto Will Rogers, is not so common anymore, so learn the proper useand operation of the scooter or motorcycle before riding it around.It is not just like a bicycle. Things are different and so are thelaws that apply. It is our duty as motorcyclists and scooterenthusiasts to learn the laws and abide by them.Sgt. Craig Harding is the supervisor of the traffic unit and motorsquad for the St. George Police Department and a contributor to TheSpectrum & Daily News.