Winston-Salem Journal, N.C., Ask SAM column [Winston-Salem Journal, N.C.]

(Winston-Salem Journal (NC) Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) Feb. 05--Q: Why is it that scooters are allowed to travel on city and county streets without a license Many times they impede traffic traveling behind them.

-- C.C.

Answer: Drivers of moped and scooters are not considered motorists under North Carolina law, so they are not required to have a driver's license, or to have their vehicle registered, inspected, or covered by liability insurance.

North Carolina general statute describes a moped as "a vehicle that has two or three wheels, no external shifting device, and a motor that does not exceed 50 cubic centimeters piston displacement and cannot propel the vehicle at a speed greater than 30 miles per hour on a level surface." If it has a bigger engine than that, or can reach greater speeds, it is considered a motorcycle, meaning that license tags, insurance and a driver's license are mandatory. Helmets are mandatory for scooter/moped drivers, and those under 16 cannot drive them.

As we mentioned earlier, liability insurance is not a requirement for scooters, and uninsured-motorist coverage doesn't apply to moped or scooter drivers. But if a moped or scooter is involved in an accident, the driver of the scooter could have to pay out of pocket if he causes damage, and could be taken to small-claims court.

A scooter, moped or any other vehicle going slower than the posted speed limit should ride to the far right of the roadway to allow other drivers to pass it when they safely can.

Anyone observing a scooter or moped being operated in a careless manner or creating a traffic hazard should contact their local law enforcement agency to report the traffic issue as soon as safely possible, said Lt. Chris Lowder with the Winston-Salem Police Department.

Q: When will Maya Angelou's public radio special for Black History Month air locally -- S.L.

Answer: The special will air twice Sunday on WFDD 88.5 FM, at 2 p.m. and again at 8.

In the program, Angelou interviews singers Alicia Keys and Jennifer Hudson; Kofi Annan, former Secretary-General of the United Nations; actress and playwright Regina Taylor; and talk show host Oprah Winfrey.

Q: Will Yadtel do anything to compensate viewers who missed out of the Super Bowl because their TV signals went out --L.S.

Answer: Some Yadtel Telecom customers in Yadkin, Davie and Iredell counties lost service about 6 p.m. Sunday, shortly before kickoff of the big game, because of the failure of a piece of equipment that is used to transport data throughout the network. A backup system that provided redundancy coverage also failed, the company said on its Facebook page.

As of Monday afternoon, engineers were still working on repairing the problem, said David Nance, the company's public relations manager. At that time, many but not all customers had their service back up.

"We're working very hard to get it restored," he said.

Yadtel has about 29,000 customers, but it was unclear how many lost their signals, Nance said. The company provides TV, Internet and phone service, and the outages varied by area.

Details about compensating customers for the outage are still being worked out, he said; any customer who wants to discuss that can call in to the company's customer service number at (336) 463-5022.

___ (c)2013 Winston-Salem Journal (Winston Salem, N.C.) Visit Winston-Salem Journal (Winston Salem, N.C.) at www2.journalnow.com Distributed by MCT Information Services

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