It’s time to ban mopeds once and for all

An all-too-familiar tragedy unfolded in Oak Bluffs last week, one that should have been avoided. 

The life of a middle-aged woman from Florida — described by friends and family as a beautiful and kind soul — was cut short. Julie Harris was on vacation, driving a moped on Sea View Avenue, when for reasons that remain unclear, police say she suddenly swerved, collided with a white Jeep Wrangler, and died a horrible death. A friend on the backseat was critically injured. 

The accident left the passengers of the Wrangler traumatized, and first responders shaken. 

Every summer, it seems, there is a serious moped accident.

Unfortunately, an effort to ban moped rentals on the Island seems to have fallen on deaf ears at the State House. Efforts going back to the 1980s have gotten seemingly nowhere, despite overwhelming support from voters and elected officials. 

Oak Bluffs’ voters have twice supported sending petitions to state lawmakers banning rentals; one vote was as recent as 2021. After wide support at town meeting, voters approved a home-rule petition in 2018, but the request never made it past a legislative committee.

Voters at town meeting then redoubled efforts three years ago, again approving a home-rule petition to send to the State House. That bill made it a little farther, and has since gone to study, which essentially means, barring a miracle, it’ll have to be refiled yet again. 

So Oak Bluffs seems to be back at square one, with yet another casualty of the bureaucratic neglect. Why lawmakers can’t get anything done is an urgent question: There have been reports of stiff resistance from a lobby that supports moped and all-terrain vehicle use, and lawmakers elsewhere in the state are worried about what type of precedent this will set for other municipalities. 

With the latest fatal accident in Oak Bluffs, we need to redouble efforts. Oak Bluffs’ leaders need to take initiative, and get this before state lawmakers again. They have to prove why it is so important, which means showing up at legislative hearings to argue the case. Their efforts here seem to be lacking. 

And it isn’t just Oak Bluffs. Other towns should step up as well. With the support of all six Island towns, a home-rule petition at the State House would have a much better shot. If Tisbury, West Tisbury, Aquinnah, Edgartown, and Chilmark stand unified with Oak Bluffs in sending a message to our state leaders, it’s harder for lawmakers to ignore. And we know there is obvious support Island-wide: nonbinding referendums for a moped ban have passed in all six towns already.

In the absence of any real progress at the state level, there are other considerations that could make our roads safer. One is to allow only experienced riders to rent mopeds. Right now, anyone with at least a learner’s permit can rent a moped. That means if you’re traveling from Alaska, you could rent a moped at the age of 14. A terrifying thought.

How do you ensure that only experienced riders can rent a moped? One solution would be to require a motorcycle license to rent. There will likely be resistance from local vendors, and potential legal challenges, but anyone who can ride a motorcycle will certainly understand the dangers of a moped. 

Another consideration is doing away with the rental of two-seat mopeds. A passenger on the back of a moped can easily alter the stability of the vehicle when the driver isn’t expecting it. Couple that with inexperienced drivers, and you have a recipe for disaster. 

Also consider more training for anyone who is renting a moped. The town of Oak Bluffs tried to require stricter regulations, but a judge in 2017 required towns to give waivers to the three rental agencies already in operation in the down-Island town. An Oak Bluffs bylaw states that a moped rental business must have a 25- by 50-foot test track on the premises, or get a waiver from selectmen by providing alternative safety training. But with a waiver for all three, renters are getting their training on the streets of downtown Oak Bluffs. The town should redouble those efforts ahead of next summer season, to ensure that Island visitors at least have a sense of what they are getting into on a training course. If that means waging a legal battle, so be it.

On the Island, we know that mopeds are dangerous. If you’re coming from out of town, you don’t necessarily know the risks. You’re on vacation. You’re enjoying your time off, and the last thing on your mind is a tragic accident moped.

For too long, mopeds have been synonymous with Martha’s Vineyard. While we’ve failed in the past, we can’t afford to fail anymore. Let’s get this law passed.

The bumper stickers reading “Mopeds Are Dangerous” that used to be ubiquitous on the Island have faded, but their meaning isn’t any less potent.