Follow the rules, moped drivers, or Metro will ticket you

By Jackie Valley

Thursday, Oct. 6, 2011 | 2 a.m.

Moped drivers, beware: Traveling in bike lanes, on sidewalks or not following standard driving rules could result in a ticket.

Metro Police say they’re cracking down on moped drivers as the motor-driven scooters become more common on Las Vegas roadways.

“People look at it as a great way to get to and from work,” Metro traffic Lt. Richard Fletcher said. “I agree, but there are some limitations to a moped just like there are limitations to a motorcycle or a four-wheel drive truck.”

By Nevada law, a moped does not require insurance or vehicle registration if it cannot exceed 30 mph and produces no more than two gross brake horsepower.

“When we see mopeds going down the road at 45 mph, that’s not a moped anymore,” Fletcher said. “That’s a motorcycle.”

Procell Motorsports on Charleston Boulevard sells mopeds ranging in price from $699 to $1,299.

General Manager Sean Murphy said Procell’s moped sales began increasing three years ago near the start of the recession and have continued in the past 12 to 18 months.

“The average reaction from the public has been much more favorable,” Murphy said.

Management at Scooter Stop on Decatur Boulevard confirmed reported moped sales as well, saying shipments typically sell out each week.

Murphy said customers — who come from all walks of life — cite a variety of factors when buying mopeds, such as less fuel consumption and the absence of insurance or registration costs.

He’s seen families buying mopeds as second vehicles and college students buying them for easy transportation.

“To be quite honest, it’s been a lot of fun,” Murphy said, referring to the daily moped sales.

A bill requiring moped registration and protective headgear for drivers in Nevada failed in the 2011 legislative session.

Even so, Fletcher advised people to research legal mopeds before purchasing something that’s actually considered a motorcycle — and therefore subject to different requirements, such as registration and protective gear.

“People aren’t realizing that,” Fletcher said. “They’re looking at it as cheap transportation, which it is.”