LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18 — On Sunday, a crash involving a moped left a 10-year-old dead, according to Kentucky State Police.
KSP explained in a release that a vehicle on I-75 hit a moped being driven by a 31-year-old man and the 10-year-old, both of whom were flown to UK Hospital for their injuries.
The 10-year-old died from her injuries and the accident is under investigation.
“Like a motorcycle, you’ve got no protection with a moped,” said Lieutenant Chris Van Brackel with Lexington Police.
In light of the weekend's moped accident, LEX 18 caught up with Lexington Police for a reminder of state moped laws.
While cars are constantly built to be safer, motorcycles and mopeds offer no barrier to the dangers of the road.
Van Brackel said that helmets, if worn, are the only protection.
“I don't think I have ever seen someone in a helmet on a moped because what do we think? 'Oh, I'm only going 35. I won't get hurt if I fall or wreck.' That's not the issue, it's the car,” said Van Brackel.
Under Kentucky State Law, mopeds are subject to traffic laws just like any other vehicle.
Unlike other vehicles, some moped models are only capable of a max speed of 35 mph.
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Because of speed limitations, mopeds are not allowed on limited access highways like New Circle Road or I-75.
“A moped by law can't go faster than 35 mph, they're governed, so now you take something going 35 and you get on a high speed road where the speed limit like New Circle or I-75 is 65 or 70 mph, and that closure rate is so fast that a lot of motorists are not going to realize that's a moped instead of a motorcycle until they're right there and it's too late to take any action,” said Van Brackel.
Moped operators ignoring the rules could face citation and court costs totaling $165, but the real consequence could be much worse.
“The person coming up behind you is just not gonna realize that you're not moving that quickly until it's too late.”
You can learn more about Kentucky’s moped laws here.
