Statewide Iowa — Lately, in our area, there have many accidents that involve mopeds.
Though, sometimes an accident is just that, an accident, there are some things that moped drivers can keep in mind.
The very first mopeds had both a motor and pedals, so they could be operated with or without a motor. Iowa Law now defines a moped as a motorized bike. A motorcycle is also a motorized bike. What is the difference? Iowa State Patrol Officer Kevin Krull tells us it’s all about speed.
According to iowadot.gov in order to drive a moped in Iowa a person must be 14 years old or older and pass a vision and knowledge test. If the person is under 16 years old they must take a safety course and if under 18 years old they must have their parent consent. In some cases a skills test is given that must be passed.
Iowa also has safety laws. Krull points out that there can be no passengers on a moped and if carrying any items, such as an instrument for school band or grocery bags, they must be strapped to the moped, not the driver.
Krull gives some statistics that since 2012 there have been 28 moped fatalities in Iowa, 178 serious injuries, and 548 minor injuries. Many of these accidents are caused by young drivers not paying attention to their surroundings or not taking weather into account and driving too fast. Speed is often the cause of many accidents, not just mopeds.
Krull gives some more advice to moped drivers about being safe.
Krull would like to see more young moped drivers, or drivers in general, to pay attention when driving. He is hopeful that with that there will be less serious accidents on Iowa roads.
