Motorised scooter misconceptions

OBEY THE ROAD RULES: Motorised scooterws fall into the same NZTA category as mini bikes and mini choppers.

Whoever said you didn't need a licence or registration to ride a motorised scooter got it wrong, according to Whakatane police.

The importation and local construction of 30cc scooters has resulted in an increasing number of riders/drivers hitting Eastern Bay footpaths which, in turn, has seen an increase of complaints from local walkers.

All this prompted Whakatane Traffic Sergeant Ray Wylie to pose a number of legislative questions about the motorised scooters to the New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA).

"It would appear motorised scooters fit into the mini chopper or mini bike category," Mr Wylie said.
"That means there are a number of requirements that have to be met."

So, if you are the owner of a motorised take note of this long list of road rules you must obey.

First up, your motorised scooter (most mini choppers have a capacity of up to a 49cc engine) cannot be ridden on the footpath, it must be ridden on the road.

The scooter should not be able to exceed 50kmh and the driver needs to hold a learners licence for either a car or a motorbike. And the learner-licence rules apply, your scooter must have an L plate visible and you cannot drive your scooter between 10pm and 5am.

The scooter does not need to have a Warrant of Fitness (WOF) but must have a registration plate and licence label at the rear otherwise police can issue a Traffic Infringement Notice (ION) for an unregistered or unlicensed vehicle.

And that's not all. Road rules that apply to mini choppers, mopeds and scooters mean:
- must not be ridden on the footpath
- can be ridden two abreast
- must have a horn
- must have a rear red light visible from 100 metres
- must have a headlight that can illuminate 30 metres ahead
- must not have an excessively noisy exhaust
- must have, if manufactured in or after 2006, a rear stop light
- must have tyres with a tread pattern visible across three-quarters of the tyre width
- rider must wear a fastened motorcycle helmet
- use arm movements to signal turning or stopping if the bike is not fitted with indicators or stop light.

"It would appear people who have purchased these motorised scooters have been given incorrect information by the people importing them," Mr Wylie said. "The same for people who have built them themselves."

He said police would be keeping an eye out for people riding motorised scooters to make sure they complied with the law.