Motorized scooters’ popularity fuels regulation review

Pocket rockets, mini-choppers, motorized standups, and just about anything short of George Jetson’s flying machine, are making driving more interesting these days.

For mini-chopper owner Brian Bidwell, it’s all about fuel efficiency.

For Spokane scooter salesman Barry Parish, it’s about sales (which are motoring along quite nicely, thank you).

And for Sgt. Joe Walker, it’s one huge mess.

“We see them on the busiest streets in Spokane to, obviously, the residential streets,” said Walker, traffic supervisor in the Spokane Police Department. “We get calls all the time from people complaining about the noise, zipping up and down the streets, over and over and over again.”

The fastest-growing way to get from point A to point B is on motorized foot scooters. This includes everything from the traditional-looking motorized scooters to mini motorbikes that resemble something that might be parked in a Ninja Turtle’s garage.

As use of the scooters rises, authorities are considering new regulations. Though the machines are generally street-legal in Washington, city officials in Spokane and Spokane Valley are considering creating new rules for the scooters. And in Coeur d’Alene, the rules already prohibit riding the scooters on streets or sidewalks.

To meet Washington state’s guidelines for street use of a “motorized foot scooter,” wheels must be 10 inches in diameter or less and it must be ridden standing or sitting. The bike must have two wheels and handlebars.

Scooters have the same access to roads as bicycles, except they are not to be ridden at night. Operators must wear helmets in the city of Spokane, but do not need a driver’s license. There are no age restrictions. Not surprisingly, scooters have become a popular way to get around for people whose driver’s license has been suspended.

There were four different motor scooter bills discussed by Washington state legislators in 2003 and 2004. None passed, making it the responsibility of cities and counties to regulate motor scooters.

The city of Spokane has been following the state guidelines. However, it is in the process of firming up its own guidelines. The Public Safety Committee, made up of three City Council members, will meet at 10:30 a.m. Monday at City Hall. The public is invited to attend.

The Spokane Valley is looking at whether it should impose restrictions beyond the state’s requirement. Joshua Leonard, legal intern for Spokane Valley, presented information to the Spokane Valley City Council last week on the issue.

The council could impose a minimum age requirement, restrict the scooters on certain roads, require a driver’s license, require safety devices or could license scooters.

Council members also asked Leonard to find out whether they could go after loud scooter riders by using its nuisance ordinance. The issue will be discussed again at a meeting in September.

Coeur d’Alene, meanwhile, has taken a stricter approach to motorized toys. They are legally not to be operated on public roadways, sidewalks or bike paths.

“I know a lot of people within the last year are riding them on the street,” said Lt. Dean McMillen. “We haven’t been real critical with them, but it won’t surprise me in the least if that changes.”

Parish, owner of The Scooter Superstore, has sold more than 1,000 gas or electric-operated scooters since opening a shop at 2529 N. Division in November 2003.

“Everybody rides them,” Parish said. “Kids ride them, adults ride them, from 5 to 80 years old. Parents are buying them for their children every day. Grown-ups are buying them for themselves every day.”

Parish said his scooters range in price from $200 to $650. Some can reach speeds of 50 mph.

Bidwell, 44, rides a $900 mini-chopper that can keep up with traffic on North Division. At the Valley council meeting last week, he said he plans to lobby hard to keep mini-choppers like his legal on the roadways. Bidwell rides his motorized bike from the North Side to Spokane Valley and claims the bike gets more than 100 mpg.

He also hopes to profit from the craze by opening the All American Scooter Co. at 15716 E. Sprague Ave. next week. Bidwell said he won’t sell any stand-up scooter models because he feels safety is extremely important. He always wears a motorcycle-style helmet and has flashing lights as well.

“People love them. They’re cute,” Bidwell said. “They look like little, shrunken, miniature Harley-Davidsons.”

They’re compact – and easily eaten alive by a Cadillac Escalade or any other beast on the road.

There were an estimated 2,345 motorized minibike injuries treated in emergency rooms last year, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. There were nearly 8,000 injuries from motorized scooters and motorized skateboards in 2003.

Accidents in the Inland Northwest have been minimal, authorities said.

“We’ve had a couple, but nothing too serious,” Walker said. “And that’s kind of what police departments around the state are waiting for, a fatality basically, because they are scooting around in and out of traffic with these things. It’s hard to see them.”