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An Ordinance of the County of Allegheny, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, requiring vendors of motorized scooters and pocket bikes to post information regarding their use on the premises.
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WHEREAS, the increasing popularity of motorized scooters and pocket bikes in Allegheny County and throughout the country has raised specific concerns regarding the illegal use on these vehicles on the roads and sidewalks in the County as their use poses a significant safety hazard to pedestrians, motorists, and their operators; and
WHEREAS, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has reported a dramatic increase in injuries associated with motorized scooters since 2000; CPSC reported that 2,870 emergency room treated injuries resulting from motorized scooter accidents were reported for the first nine months of 2001 - 39% of these injuries occurred to children under the age of 15, with the most common injury being fractures; in 2002, 5,900 motorized scooter riders ended up in the emergency room, as did 2,000 mini-bike riders; and
WHEREAS, the PA Department of Transportation has deemed that the operation of a motorized scooter on a highway, roadway, sidewalk, or thoroughfares in the Commonwealth is currently unlawful and unsafe; individuals operating such a vehicle are violating the registration, equipment, inspection, and insurance laws of the state; and
WHEREAS, the Allegheny County District Attorney, in cooperation with the Allegheny County Chiefs of Police Association, has launched an awareness campaign to bring attention to the illegal use of motorized scooters or pocket bikes on streets, sidewalks, highways, and all other public thoroughfares, by distributing materials to retailers for distribution to purchasers of such vehicles; and
WHEREAS, Allegheny County desires to take additional, appropriate measures to safeguard the health, safety, and welfare of its residents through legislation that is intended to protect the public from the...
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