The moped insurance proposal is back.
A House-approved bill to require that mopeds be registered with the N.C. Division of Motor Vehicles took on a provision Wednesday in the Senate to mandate they also carry liability insurance.
That essentially restores the original wording of the bill, one of the primary sponsors of which is Pender County Republican Rep. Chris Millis.
Currently, anyone at least 16 years old can operate a moped on a state highway or public roadway without a license or insurance on the vehicle, which can’t legally have the ability to travel faster than 30 mph.
Rep. Phil Shepard (R-Onslow), another of the bill’s primary sponsors, had opined that it’s fundamentally problematic to allow mopeds on higher-speed highways without financial responsibility, and that he often hears complaints to that effect.
But the House version passed without the insurance requirement. Instead, it ordered a study of mopeds and related incidents on North Carolina roads, which would ideally help the legislature in its long session next year determine whether stronger regulations, like with insurance, are needed. (Related story)
A Senate substitute version restoring the insurance mandate received committee backing Wednesday.
Click here for complete information about the bill.
