2010-01-20 Senate Bill 5482 negatively affects the Elderly & Handicapped

Submitted by Roderick on Wed, 01/20/2010 - 09:19

Hi Jeff,
 
  Thanks you so much for taking the time to speak with me last evening concerning Senate Bill 5482 and how a section of it negatively impacts the elderly and the handicapped, not to mention being anti-EV in nature. In the section on the definition of a Motorized Foot Scooter submitted to the legislature by the Washington State Patrol they had crossed out the part that said "sat upon" in the definition. It had previously stated that motorized foot scooters are "Designed to be stood upon or sat upon". This new law makes it illegal to sit on the seat that comes with 90 plus percent of all these vehicles. I had asked the State Patrol how a person with no legs was supposed to stand on one of these. As I had mentioned to you Jeff, it took me well over two months of back and fourth emails to the Washington State Patrol to get a definitive answer as to how they interpreted the law. Their interpretation is that if you sit on the seat then it is no longer a motorized foot scooter, therefore it is not allowed on public roads.
 
   The seriousness of the impact to the elderly and handicapped once again drove it home to me when an elderly lady who has diabetes come into our place in Sequim and needed repair on her small Currie foot scooter. She explained that it was her only transportation for getting around and getting groceries as she could not get a drivers license. She needed a battery charger and a receptacle that had burned. I charged her batteries and donated my labor for installing the plug and receptacle but with a bill of around $45.00 she still needed to pay us on time payments. These are the type of people this law is effecting. I am forwarding this to the SEVA list in hopes that others will contact their legislators and try to get this very bad law turned around. They may not have thought of the impact it would have, I don't know. I do know it is very wrong and goes counter to federal laws under "The Americans with Disability Act" but a person that can not afford $45.00 can not hire a lawyer to fight this unjust law.
 
Roderick Wilde, Director
Environmental Transportation Options
 
    Roderick Wilde,  President,  EV Parts Inc.
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