According to Officer Jean VanDenBogart of the University of Wisconsin Police Department, an increased number of mopeds on campus poses a safety concern.

“[Moped drivers] will violate stop signs, they will pass cars on the wrong side, they don’t wait for pedestrians and they carry passengers,” she said.

VanDenBogart says that, according to Wisconsin state law, it is illegal for moped drivers to carry passengers under any circumstances, even if their moped has rear foot rests.

VanDenBogart also stressed the hazards to those operating mopeds.

“Unlike motorcycles, moped drivers are not required to have eye protection, helmets or any special licenses,” she said. “Anyone with a Wisconsin driver’s license, without having their skills tested, can drive a moped. People should be required to wear eye protection — a piece of shrapnel, dirt or a bee isn’t going to discriminate as to whether or not you are driving a motorcycle or a moped.”

“There is a tremendous amount of moped theft on campus,” VanDenBogart continued.

“Mopeds are easy to steal, and they are easy to hotwire. They are not durable; typically they’re made out of plastic. Someone who knows anything about wires can put the two wires together and start it.

“People also don’t lock their mopeds. They’re easy to move — I can pick up a moped and put it in the trunk of my car — I’ve done it before. There is also a lot of vandalism. Scooters are tipped over for an unknown reason or during time stolen vehicles are damaged.”

Randy Knudson, president of Scooter Therapy, agrees mopeds have the potential to be dangerous. He offers tips to all his moped drivers but realizes students do not always listen.

“Look up, and watch where you’re going,” he said. “Wear a helmet. But nobody ever does. Everyone on bikes wears helmets, but nobody on a moped does. This is a really weird town that way. Mopeds are small and fast, and automobile drivers don’t recognize them as vehicles. They’re not looking for mopeds; they’re looking for other cars.”

Despite safety hazards and costs, some students enjoy the convenience of owning a moped.

“I got mine as a present, but it definitely is easier to get around,” said Joseph Weber, a junior at UW. “Rather than 15 minutes to get to class, it takes five. I can go places that are further away than if I was just walking.”

Ken Ahler, a UW senior, agreed.

“I bought my moped so I didn’t have to walk,” he said. “My girlfriend lives across campus, and it would be a 25-minute walk, but I can get there in five minutes or less. It’s not helping me out too much lately, though, since I have a flat tire,” he added.

Both Weber and Ahler cited vandalism as a disadvantage to owning a scooter.

“Sometimes it gets trashed on weekends. Depending [on] where I park it, it gets tipped over a lot by scooter-haters,” Ahler said.

Weber echoed those sentiments.

“My moped has gotten trashed a lot. It’s targeted a lot by drunk people, maybe because it’s pink,” Weber said. “I had the back tire taken off once, and when I lived in the dorms people used to push it over and jump on it.”

Knudson said moped sales in Madison peaked during the mid-1980s but have recently started to pick up again.

“During the 1980s, you could buy a new moped for $500. Now it costs you $1300 to $2000, but the quality is way better, and the price is all-inclusive,” he said.

According to Knudson, insurance for a moped costs from $50 to $200 per year.

“My main complaint is that it’s too cold,” he said. “When it’s cold out, mopeds are harder to start if you aren’t using the right technique. The most common repair is a flat tire on the back wheel.”