What’s the Deal with All These Mopeds?

Image via Wikimedia Commons

Whether they’ve been here all along, and you’re just now noticing, or they’re really a new Ft. Thomas phenomenon, the point is that they’re getting noticed. Mopeds are gaining attention — if not traction — around Ft. Thomas city streets, so here’s the scoop on traffic and licensing laws surrounding these small, motorized vehicles.

What’s a moped, and why?

To start, the term “moped” is derived from vehicles originally developing as hybrids that attach a motorized engine to a pedaled vehicle. Hence: mo-ped. While not all mopeds have pedals anymore, there are a few imaginable explanations for why moped traffic around town would increase lately. Fuel prices are at an all-time high, and, according to Consumer Reports, mopeds yield an average of roughly 60-100 mpg. Similarly, the simple truth is that these vehicles require less maintenance and miscellaneous financial investment to own and operate.

But probably the biggest engine behind their popularity — and the most frequent cause for concern among other, non-moped drivers — is the relatively minimal licensing procedure for operating a moped.

To be clear, the “mopeds” Ft. Thomas residents have been seeing more and more around town recently (for the most part) fall into the < 50cc engine category. And, in fact, this is the same category the KY State Police classify as “moped” in the KY Driver’s Manual. Other characteristics of this vehicle class include no more than two horsepower, an automatic transmission that does not require clutching or shifting, and a maximum speed not exceeding 30 mph (KRS 189.285). 

License or no license?

State law reads that one must be at least 16 years old and have a license to operate a moped in Kentucky. This makes KY one of less than 20 states to have a minimum age requirement. 

If you do not currently have an operator or motorcycle license, you must first apply for one. To obtain a moped license, the testing process consists of a general knowledge and a vision test, but no field test or temporary permit period are required. If the moped license-holder is a minor, a parent or legal guardian must co-sign the license application, assuming responsibility for said vehicle. 

Furthermore, a licensed moped-operator must also register his/her moped with the state of Kentucky. (If the vehicle has an engine greater than 50cc, a license plate is also required.) If you only plan on riding the moped on private property, no license or registration is required. 

Because of the limitations of moped-class vehicles, they are prohibited from any road where the minimum speed is greater than 30 mph. By the same token, though, this allows for relaxed regulation on safety equipment: the KY Driver’s Manual states that “moped operators are not required to wear helmets or eye-protection devices.”

Sharing the Road

While there are no hard statistics telling us how many of the mopeds we’ve seen zipping around Ft. Thomas lately are a result of fuel economy, auto maintenance, or if it’s just a new trend among local youth, they are here nonetheless, and they do belong on the road. Just like with automobiles, it is up to parents, guardians, and the Fort Thomas Police Department to ensure that young vehicle operators do so responsibly and within the parameters of traffic laws.

Correction made: According to Assistant Campbell Co. District Attorney Cameron Blau, insurance is NOT required for moped operation.

(9 Jul 2013)