Stonecrest

Scooter Safety and the Law

Parents need to make sure their child is old enough and understands traffic laws before putting a motorized scooter under the Christmas Tree this year. Motorized skateboards and scooters are a very popular toy with children. If they are used responsibly they can be a lot of fun but if not they can be extremely dangerous. Mesa has had three serious injury collisions and one fatal crash involving such motorized vehicles this year. Parents considering a motorized vehicle as a present should be familiar with City traffic laws and ensure that their child is educated on safety before sending them out on the streets.

In Mesa children must be at least 14 to operate a motorized scooter and anyone under 18 must wear a helmet and protective goggles or glasses while riding according to City Code. Children must carry a signed permission letter from a parent or legal guardian to ride any such motorized vehicle. These vehicles can only be ridden on City streets with a speed limit not exceeding 30mph or less and cannot be ridden on sidewalks. The Stonecrest CC&R's do forbid such vehicles on our streets. Educate your children on the traffic laws because they will be responsible for following them. Don't let a gift become a tradegy.