[et_pb_section bb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”3.0.91″ custom_padding=”0px|0px|0px|0px” next_background_color=”#000000″][et_pb_row custom_padding=”2px|0px|8px|0px” _builder_version=”3.0.47″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″][et_pb_text admin_label=”Featured Image caption” _builder_version=”3.17.3″ text_font=”|600|||||||” text_font_size=”12px”]<\/p>\n
A new South Carolina moped law requires all drivers under the age of 21 to wear a helmet. Drivers also must remain in the right lane unless they are making a left turn.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section bb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”3.0.92″ custom_padding=”2px|0px|37.9062px|0px” prev_background_color=”#000000″ next_background_color=”#000000″][et_pb_row custom_padding=”0px|0px|18.9531px|0px” custom_margin=”10px|||” _builder_version=”3.0.92″][et_pb_column type=”2_3″][et_pb_text admin_label=”News Story” _builder_version=”3.17.3″ custom_margin=”0px||0px|”]<\/p>\n Moped owner Henry Wyatt acquired\u00a0his moped in 2015 and has already clocked 7,400 miles on it. On Monday, he complied with a new South Carolina law and registered his vehicle with the S.C. Department of Motor Vehicles.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWell I didn\u2019t want to do it at first, but I borrowed the money and came down and did it today,\u201d said Wyatt said. \u201cWe didn\u2019t get much notice of it. And then they said, now you have a deadline. So at first I got a little uptight about that.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0Moped drivers had until \u00a0Nov. 19 to register their vehicles with the S.C. DMV and obtain a license plate. Under the new law passed by the state legislature, drivers must be at least 15 to operate a moped.<\/span><\/p>\n Wyatt said he registered his moped at the dealer when he first got it, and carries his proof of sale and title with him wherever he goes, just in case he ever gets pulled over.<\/span><\/p>\n The new law also requires drivers under the age of 21 to wear a helmet and all must drive in the right lane, <\/span>because mopeds cannot reach the speed needed to keep up with the cars in the left lane.<\/p>\n Lance Cpl. David Jones with the South Carolina Highway Patrol said he advises drivers to wear a reflective vest and take other precautions to ensure safety at all times. <\/span><\/p>\n \u201cEven though 21 may be the limit to where you have to wear a helmet, even after 21 it\u2019s always a smart choice to put that helmet on,\u201d said Jones. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Before the new law, mopeds were not classified as motor vehicles so when moped drivers were arrested for driving under the influence, the charge would often not hold up in court.<\/span><\/p>\n Jones said operators do not have to have a license to drive a moped, which is why he believes the new law will benefit moped owners. They now have a sheet of paper that says they are allowed to drive that moped and that they are the owner.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cI haven\u2019t had a driver\u2019s license in years,\u201d Wyatt said. \u201cI could go get one now, if I wanted but I\u2019m not driving a vehicle.\u201d \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_3″][et_pb_image admin_label=”Image 1″ show_in_lightbox=”on” show_bottom_space=”off” _builder_version=”3.17.3″ custom_margin=”||2px|” custom_padding=”|||” animation_style=”slide” box_shadow_style=”preset2″ box_shadow_horizontal=”4px” box_shadow_vertical=”4px” src=”http:\/\/carolinanewsandreporter.cic.sc.edu\/test\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/MopedUpdateP1_KK.jpg”]<\/p>\n <\/p>\n [\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text admin_label=”Caption 1″ _builder_version=”3.17.3″ text_font=”|600|||||||” text_font_size=”12px” text_line_height=”1.4em” custom_margin=”8px|||2px” custom_padding=”|||”]<\/p>\n Lance Cpl. David Jones of the South Carolina Highway Patrol believes the new moped law will help keep drivers safe. But he says more education is needed to help operators learn how to be safe while driving a moped.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image admin_label=”Image 2″ show_in_lightbox=”on” show_bottom_space=”off” _builder_version=”3.17.3″ custom_margin=”||2px|” custom_padding=”|||” animation_style=”slide” box_shadow_style=”preset2″ box_shadow_horizontal=”4px” box_shadow_vertical=”4px” src=”http:\/\/carolinanewsandreporter.cic.sc.edu\/test\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/MopedUpdateP3_KK.jpg”]<\/p>\n <\/p>\n [\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text admin_label=”Caption 2″ _builder_version=”3.17.3″ text_font=”|600|||||||” text_font_size=”12px” text_line_height=”1.4em” custom_margin=”8px|||2px” custom_padding=”|||”]<\/p>\n Henry Wyatt bought his moped in 2015 and has 7,400 miles on it. He doesn\u2019t need a S.C. driver’s license to operate a moped and doesn’t see the need to get a license since he doesn\u2019t own a car.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image admin_label=”Image 3″ show_in_lightbox=”on” show_bottom_space=”off” _builder_version=”3.17.3″ custom_margin=”||2px|” custom_padding=”|||” animation_style=”slide” box_shadow_style=”preset2″ box_shadow_horizontal=”4px” box_shadow_vertical=”4px” src=”http:\/\/carolinanewsandreporter.cic.sc.edu\/test\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/MopedUpdateP4_KK.jpg”]<\/p>\n <\/p>\n [\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text admin_label=”Caption 3″ _builder_version=”3.17.3″ text_font=”|600|||||||” text_font_size=”12px” text_line_height=”1.4em” custom_margin=”8px|||2px” custom_padding=”|||”]<\/p>\n \u00a0Once you register your moped for $10, you will receive a temporary plate like this one. A permanent plate will be mailed at a later date.\u00a0<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section bb_built=”1″ fullwidth=”off” specialty=”off” prev_background_color=”#000000″][et_pb_row][et_pb_column type=”4_4″][et_pb_video _builder_version=”3.0.92″ \/][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Nov. 19 was the deadline for moped owners in South Carolina to register their vehicles. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":129,"featured_media":15176,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":""},"categories":[42,39,68],"tags":[338,414],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/carolinanewsandreporter.cic.sc.edu\/test\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15149"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/carolinanewsandreporter.cic.sc.edu\/test\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/carolinanewsandreporter.cic.sc.edu\/test\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/carolinanewsandreporter.cic.sc.edu\/test\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/129"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/carolinanewsandreporter.cic.sc.edu\/test\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=15149"}],"version-history":[{"count":13,"href":"https:\/\/carolinanewsandreporter.cic.sc.edu\/test\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15149\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":15315,"href":"https:\/\/carolinanewsandreporter.cic.sc.edu\/test\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15149\/revisions\/15315"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/carolinanewsandreporter.cic.sc.edu\/test\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/15176"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/carolinanewsandreporter.cic.sc.edu\/test\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=15149"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/carolinanewsandreporter.cic.sc.edu\/test\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=15149"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/carolinanewsandreporter.cic.sc.edu\/test\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=15149"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}