Lots of drunk moped drivers in the US

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Lots of drunk moped drivers in the US
Gerd Altmann_www.pixelio.de

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Lots of drunk moped drivers in the US

Drunk moped drivers in the USA
Over 30 percent drunk on the go

Researchers evaluated accident data from a medical center and found that US moped drivers are under the influence of alcohol more than average.


Dina Dervisevic

03/11/2020

“Here in North Carolina, a scooter is also called a ‘snap car’. Because 99 percent of drivers get caught drinking and driving.” This is a quote from the moonshiner Jim Tom from the multi-part American docudrama “Moonshiners” (Season 8, episode 22 “The legend of Jim Tom”, from minutes 26:38). In order to show the connection between the lax regulations and drunk moped drivers, the Carolina Medical Center evaluated accident data from North Carolina and South Carolina over a period of three years. At that time, the figures from 2007 to 2009 already led to some terrifying findings. In the course of the study, data from 65 moped drivers who had had an accident were analyzed in detail. Results:

  • 49% had a positive blood count.
  • 72% of them were repeat offenders.
  • 38% had a license revoked at the time of the breach.
  • 34% had a criminal record for driving despite their license withdrawn.
  • Moped drivers are often drunk at the time of injury and pose a public safety risk.
  • The majority of the patients (85%) were men with a mean age of 42 years.
  • The majority are recidivists with multiple alcohol-related tickets.

Moped driving license regulation too lax

Conclusion of the authors of the study: The driving license regulations for mopeds have to become stricter in many of the 50 US states, legal penalties have to be checked, readjusted and, above all, applied. Advice should also be given to drunk drivers, especially if they are repeat offenders.

In the USA a moped is defined as follows: The motorized two-wheeler has no more than 50 cm³ displacement and reaches a maximum of 45 km / h (28 mph). Mopeds are less stringent in the US than motor vehicles such as motorcycles and automobiles. The licensing regulations differ from state to state, and often you don’t even need a driver’s license. And insurance isn’t compulsory in every state either. In addition, it is possible in several states to obtain a moped license – regardless of suitability for the regular driver’s license. “With us you can drive scooters up to 50 cm³ without a driver’s license. Only a helmet is required. I’ve been driving a scooter for 30 years – even before I had to surrender my driver’s license.”, said Jim Tom in the docudrama “Moonshiners”.

5.3% of small motorcycle riders in Germany

As in many US states, we are also allowed to drive mopeds in Germany with a car or motorcycle license, i.e. motorized two-wheelers with up to 50 cm³ and a top speed of 45 km / h. If we don’t have such a license, we need a class AM driver’s license, for which the minimum age is 16 years. The regulations apply to us uniformly and nationwide.

However, we can still draw another parallel to the American study: In Germany, too, it is drivers of small motorbikes who are particularly often under the influence of alcohol compared to other vehicle drivers. According to the latest accident statistics, it was 5.3 percent of those involved in accidents in 2019.

E-scooter drivers new front runners?

The police have been recording and registering e-scooter accidents separately since January 1, 2020. In the 2020 accident statistics, they may then – at least proportionally – replace the drivers of mopeds. We won’t find out until spring 2021, when the Federal Statistical Office will publish the next accident statistics.

Conclusion

Anyone who has an alcoholic accident on a moped in the USA often has no further consequences other than injuries to fear. Injured drivers in particular are often spared from legal measures. In addition, in some states you don’t even need a driver’s license to drive a moped and there is often no compulsory insurance. The maintenance costs are very low and the hurdle to drive drunk is low for the reasons mentioned.

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