Q: With all this great weather I’ve been thinking about getting a scooter, something like a Vespa. Is that basically like a moped, or do I need a special license?
A: I’m not going to try to talk you out of getting a scooter, but there’s more to think about than good weather. You probably know that, so if this is all old news to you bear with me for a moment. I wouldn’t be a good traffic safety nerd if I didn’t highlight the massive increase in risk you take on when you stick a motor between two wheels. And yes, I’ll get to the licensing part too.
Also, I’m not anti-motorcycle. But I am anti-dying before your time. Of all the common ways you could choose to travel, a motorcycle is the most likely way to end up in that second category.
Washington drivers rack up almost 60 billion miles on our roads every year. Only .3 percent of those miles come from motorcycle riders. But motorcyclists make up 16 percent of traffic fatalities. Or put another way, motorcycle riders die in traffic crashes at a rate 80 times greater than occupants in other motor vehicles, per mile traveled.
Granted, most scooters can’t reach typical motorcycle speeds. And that’s to your advantage; energy equals mass times velocity squared. Or said another way, double the speed, quadruple the impact. That doesn’t make you immune to risk though. Of the 113 motorcycle fatalities in Washington in 2024, over half occurred on roads with a speed limit of 40 mph or lower. And 41 percent of those slower speed fatalities were single vehicle crashes.
I point out the single vehicle crash part because there’s a myth that the primary danger of riding a motorcycle is other drivers. That’s one danger, but it’s not the main one. Even in crashes between motorcycles and other vehicles, the motorcyclist is more likely to be speeding or impaired. A harder to measure, but no less real, danger is finding out too late that you just outran your talent. Even if you choose a model that doesn’t require an endorsement, motorcycle safety training is a smart idea.
Since you mentioned Vespa, let’s use them as an example for licensing. Of the 20 Vespa models available today, only six meet Washington’s definition of a moped. The rest would all require a motorcycle endorsement. The main difference between a moped and a motorcycle is power. A moped is limited to an engine size of 50 cubic centimeters and a top speed of 30 mph. If you’re looking at an electric model the engine size obviously won’t apply, but the top speed still does. And not every 50-cc two-wheeler is street legal. Mopeds have to meet a set of safety standards similar to what’s required for a street-legal motorcycle.
Even though riding a moped on the road doesn’t require a special endorsement, it does require a driver license (which by default makes the minimum operator age 16). Like motorcycles, a helmet is required. Unlike motorcycles, it’s not legal to ride a moped on the freeway (not that you’d want to.) That still leaves lots of options for roads with speed limits as much as double the top speed of a moped. That kind of speed differential can put you in a precarious position, so consider wisely the route you choose.
If you decide to get a scooter here’s my advice: stay sober, develop your riding skills, and ride within them so that you can enjoy these amazing Pacific Northwest summers for many years to come.
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