By David Whisenant
WBTV
Laws in North Carolina have already changed for mopeds, and they could also change in a very different way when it comes to ATV’s under a new proposal that is being considered by the state senate.
On July 1 new rules went into effect for mopeds, requiring the bikes to be registered with the NC DMV. This week in Salisbury several moped riders were warned, and some cited for not having the new registration.
“There are some that don’t know and a lot of our enforcement action when a new law comes out typically is to stop them, it’s more informative than it is to issue a citation or anything like that,” Master Police Officer Karl Boehm told WBTV. “A lot of times when a new law comes out we’ll issue warnings for a certain amount of time and then after a reasonable amount of time has passed and people have gotten to know that the law is actually in effect, that’s when we’ll start handing out actual citations with fines and court costs and all of that.”
Darian Wagoner of MOTTS Powersports in Salisbury was surprised to learn of the crackdown. He says riders weren’t able to register the mopeds until July 1, the same day the law went into effect.
“They could not get them registered until July 1, but then the crack down started on July 1,” Wagoner told WBTV.“I feel that it’s a little unfair to the people that didn’t have the chance to preregister. Having said that I know that the police are just doing their jobs based on the new law that went into effect July 1.”
Wagoner estimates that there are 70,000 mopeds on the streets of North Carolina.
The registration costs $18, with surcharges in some counties, and it does have to be renewed annually.
From two wheels to four, ATV’s are getting a look under a new amendment that was put into an environmental regulation bill in the NC Senate at the end of June. The state senate passed a bill that included an amendment which would make it lawful for parents to let their 6- and 7-year-olds operate all-terrain vehicles.
“When we enacted our law in 2005 it was the strictest ATV law in the country,” Wagoner added. “I feel the problem with ATV safety with minors doesn’t fall with the ATV’s but maybe with the supervision of the children riding them.”
The current minimum operating age is 8. Intermediate restrictions on operating large-engine ATVs for children under age 12 or 16 would be replaced with standards set by vehicle manufacturers.
And while many in the industry are pleased with the vote, there are child safety advocates who are opposed, including NC Child and the American Academy of Pediatrics.
“There’s no reason to weaken safety regulations that have saved children’s lives, especially without an open debate about the merits of such a proposal.” said Rob Thompson, policy director at NC Child, a statewide child advocacy organization.
“To prevent unnecessary child injuries and fatalities, we call on the House to reject the current version of House Bill 765 and to remove the provisions that rollback child safety standards for ATVs,” said Thompson in a news release provided to WBTV.
If the NC House approves the bill as written with the amendment, it would go to the governor’s desk to be signed into law.