Denial of Petition for Rulemaking; Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards

Riepilogo

This document denies a petition by Whizzer Motorbike Company for rulemaking which would exclude it and other motorized bicycles from all DOT regulations. Petitioner argued that the vehicle's low speed and small size justified such exclusion. However, the agency found this conclusion unsupported and denies the petition. Motorized bicycles, which may have a maximum speed of up to 25 miles per hour and are found on the public streets, must be afforded the same level of protection that now exists for their category under the Federal motor vehicle safety standards where they are defined as ``motor driven cycles,'' which are ``motorcycles with a motor which produces 5 brake horsepower or less.''