University Park: Ruckus Scooter is Legal
While pulling up the University Park City Council agenda for tonight’s meeting, I stumbled across a note on the city’s website regarding the Honda Ruckus, a new scooter that’s been flooding the streets in the past year.
Turns out the city’s taken a bunch of calls regarding their legality. In summary: they are legal, as long as they’re insured, registered, and driven by a licensed driver.
For some sweet Ruckus videos on YouTube, go here.
Licensed driver? You mean a motorcycle license? Doubt that many the kids zipping about have that.
I think it’s just a driver’s license, like when driving a moped.
Here’s a quote from the Texas Department of Pubic Safety on this subject. Bradford is exactly right.
“With the operation of any street-legal moped, scooter, or motorcycle, a motorcycle license is also mandatory. If you are age 15 to 17, you’ll need to take a safety course before you can apply for a motorcycle license.”
can you drive at age 15 without a driver’s (car) license? is there any enforecment of a helmet rule?
Important question to the football players- and their dads -who cruise around on these things: “Is it worth the possible closed head injury that could occur in an accident because you are not wearing a helmet?”
Chief Adams- Can DWI’s be issued to ruckus drivers?
All due respect Chief, but your quote shows mako and not Bradford to be correct unless I am missing something. Seems that Bradford was saying that all they needed was “just a Driver’s License” while mako and the TDPS quote are referring to a specific Motorcycle License.
Avid Reader- I was going with what was on the UP website, so I’ll defer to Chief Adams. I think it may be a semantics argument.
Avid Reader, you are right as well. I was referring to the fact that a person may get a drivers license at a younger age to operate a moped than he or she can to drive a car.
Worht the Risk…a person operating a moped on a public street under the influence of alcohol or other subtance can be arrested and charged with DWI.
George…the UPPD has issued numerous citations to indivduals under the age of 21 for not wearing a helment while operating a moped on a public street.
A good web site to visit to answer many of your questions on this matter is: http://www.txdps.state.tx.us/msb/documents/VDRchartJune2001.
Crazy laws! You can’t be stop for not having a helmet (have to have another reason for the stop) If your wearing a helment you can be stopped so the helmet can be inspected for D.O.T. requirment.
Thanks Bradford, and Chief.
BM not so: You can be stopped for any reason. I’m still not clear on whether you need a separate Moped license or if your car driver license is good enough at age 16.
I don’t see the Ruckus as being on the approved Moped list put out by the state.
And be careful that your scooter/moped/whatever is OVER 40cc because otherwise:::::
Scooters are illegal to operate on public streets, sidewalks and alleys in University Park
The 77th Texas Legislature enacted legislation that allows a county or municipality to prohibit the operation of a motor assisted scooter on a street, highway, or sidewalk if the governing body of the municipality determines that the prohibition is necessary in the interest of safety.
Following a recommendation from the City’s Public Safety Committee, the City Council voted in September 2009, to prohibit the use of motorized “razor-type” scooters on city streets, alleys and sidewalks. The move comes after several University Park motorists and pedestrians told police that they narrowly avoided colliding with operators of motorized scooters. A number of area communities have taken the same action in order to limit serious mishaps.
By City Ordinance violators can be ticketed. If the offender is under age 14, his parent or guardian can be fined. If the person cited is found guilty, the violation carries a $129 penalty.
A motorized scooter is defined under the Texas Transportation Code as a self –propelled device with: (1) at least two wheels in contact with the ground during operation; (2) a braking system capable of stopping the device under typical operating conditions; (3) a gas or electric motor not exceeding 40 cubic centimeters; (4) a deck designed to allow a person to stand or sit while operating the device; and (5) the ability to be propelled by human power alone.
What’s the real difference in the community safety of almost hitting a under 40cc scooter on Purdue and almost hitting a ruckus driver as they zip around you on Preston?
lostlonnie,
You CANNOT be stopped for not wearing a helmet.
It would appear that you are exempt from wearing a helmet if you have taken a state approved motorcycle safety course and the law further prohibits an officer from detaining an operator or passenger of a motorcycle simply for the purpose of determining whether or not the person has taken the safety course. See http://www.txdps.state.tx.us/msb/helmet.htm. While the law does not specifically address mopeds, I am assuming it does apply to moped operators as well. Chief, is this correct?
Tough crowd here! You can be stopped for not wearing a helmet if you do not appear to be 21 years old. You cannot be stopped to determine if you have taken the safety couse which allows a person who is 21 or older to operate a motorcycle without a helmet.
TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY
MOTORCYCLE SAFETY UNIT
VEHICLE DESCRIPTIONS AND REQUIREMENTS
MOPED
“Moped” means a motor-driven cycle that cannot
attain a speed in one mile of more than 30 miles
per hour and the engine of which:
(A) cannot produce more than two-brake
horsepower; and
(B) if an internal combustion engine, has a piston
displacement of 50 cubic centimeters or less and
connects to a power drive system that does not
require the operator to shift gears.
TTC 541.201(8)
GENERAL OPERATION /
ROADWAY USE
RIDER AND PASSENGER
TTC 545.416, 545.424
HEADGEAR REQUIRED YES
TTC 661.001 – 661.004
YES
INSPECTION/EQUIPMENT
REQUIRED
TTC 548.051(b)
TITLE REQUIRED YES
TTC 501.022
YES
REGISTRATION REQUIRED YES
TTC 502.007, Certified Moped List
YES
INSURANCE REQUIRED YES
TTC 601.072
YES
LICENSE REQUIRED YES
TTC 521.225
TRAINING REQUIRED YES
TTC 521.148, 662
The Ruckus is a pretty cool little thing, I just hope that this doesn’t cause a rise in accidents.