Motor scooters have become increasingly popular over the last five years at Southeast Missouri State University, and they provide college students the benefit of saving money on gasoline.
However, there have been numerous reports of minor accidents on campus involving motor scooters and a serious accident involving Southeast soccer player Meg Herndon, who was struck by a Ford F-250 on Sept. 9 at the intersection of Sprigg Street and Normal Avenue. Herndon was not wearing a helmet when she was hit on her scooter, although the accident was not her fault. She later died on Sept. 20.
Director of the Department of Public Safety Doug Richards believes every motor scooter operator should wear a helmet for his or her safety.
"You don't stand a chance if you get hit on a scooter," Richards said. "It involves head trauma if you hit your head or wreck and hit the pavement."
In Missouri it is not required by law that a person wear a helmet if he or she is operating a motor scooter that is less than 50cc's. CC's stands for cubic centimeters and is measured by the amount of cc's an engine has. However, it is required for a person to obtain a vehicle driver's license in order to operate a motor scooter. A person operating a motor scooter must also abide by Missouri's traffic rules and regulations.
According to Richards, the city of Cape Girardeau is discussing drafting an ordinance that would require people to wear a helmet when riding a motor scooter.
"It's a matter of safety," Richards said. "A helmet would go a long way in protecting a student from head injury."
The increase of motor scooter usage at Southeast is evident. According to Richards, DPS issued 340 scooter permits this year.
"That is our largest volume ever," Richards said. "We have seen a definite increase in scooter usage and scooter registration on campus."
From Sept. 17 through Sept. 20, DPS changed motor scooter and motorcycle parking to improve safety for motor scooter operators. Parking spots were removed from the lots by Polytechnic Building, Dempster Hall, Kent Library and Vandiver Hall.
"We're moving scooter parking spaces away from some of the locations they have right around buildings, sidewalks, where there's much more congestion," Richards said. "We're moving the spaces to areas where there aren't so many cars or pedestrians."
There are now two new parking areas for motor scooters and motorcycles. One is located on Henderson Street across from Parker Building, and the other is on Henderson Street across from Vandiver Hall. Both parking areas provide 36 spaces.
"The parking change is driven by safety," Richards said. "Scooters may be obscured to vehicles, which could cause an accident."
Richards said DPS has received many reports of near misses where students have been almost struck on scooters and has received reports of minor accidents on campus involving scooters.
"Our objective was to move scooter operators into an area where there will be less traffic, and it will be easier for them to navigate and be seen better," Richards said.
Campus Motoworkz on Broadway has been selling all-terrain vehicles, motor scooters and accessories to Southeast students and the general public since 2009. Owner Todd Rapp has seen an increase in demand for motor scooters since it opened.
"Our first year we sold 100 scooters, the second year we sold about 300," Rapp said. "This year, we're on track to have sold about 500."
Rapp said he sells a lot of motor scooters to Southeast students, but the general public buys motor scooters, too.
"The bigger surprise is that you would think the Southeast would be the bulk of our sales, and really they are, but it's the people in the community that are using scooters to get to work," Rapp said. "Professors that work in the university ride scooters to get to and from school."
According to Rapp, 49cc's is the lowest street legal scooter make. Motor scooters are broken up into three different styles: 49cc's, 150cc's and 250cc's. The majority of motor scooters that Campus Motoworkz sells are 50cc's and 150cc's.
"There is no true 50cc scooter. They're all 49cc, but they are categorized as 50cc. So 49cc's and 50cc's are interchangeable as far as terminology goes. They just call it 50cc class," Rapp said. "All the scooters we sell, like 49.6cc or 49.4cc scooters, do not require a helmet to ride."
Rapp said he strongly recommends that people purchase a helmet when they buy a scooter from him and that he does not ride a bike without a helmet.
"You hit your head on the concrete, it hurts even if you're only going five miles per hour, much less 30 miles per hour, which is how fast a 49cc scooter goes," Rapp said.
Rapp said only about five to ten percent of his customers buy a helmet. However, Rapp tries to give helmets away for free or include a helmet with a scooter purchase.
"We tried giving them away as a promo, where they had their choice of a scooter lock or a helmet," Rapp said. "The helmets are around $100, and the locks are only $20."
Rapp said when a customer purchases a motor scooter he takes them to the parking lot behind his store so that the customer can practice how to ride a scooter.
"Many of our customers have never ridden a scooter before," Rapp said. "So, when any customer buys a scooter, I take them to the parking lot so they can get the feel of how to ride a scooter. It's not a safety course, but it's just a piece of mind."
When it comes to riding a motor scooter, the main objective is to operate it responsibly to avoid accidents or injuries, Rapp said. Motor scooters can last for years and save a lot of money on gas.
"There's definitely a huge economic advantage with the scooters," Rapp said. "They're just a blast to have, and people who ride them know that. It's more of a lifestyle than it is a form of transportation."
