COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) – Gov. Henry McMaster has signed a moped safety law that allows intoxicated drivers to be prosecuted for drunken driving and requires teens to wear a helmet.
McMaster’s signature Friday caps a seven-year effort to close the “liquor-cycle” loophole.
His predecessor, Nikki Haley, vetoed a similar measure last year, calling it government overreach to require reflective vests for nighttime driving and helmets for drivers under 21. The compromise sent to McMaster’s desk removed the vest requirement.
Republican Sen. Greg Hembree of North Myrtle Beach says lives will be saved. The former prosecutor has been pushing for moped safety legislation for years.
The law also limits mopeds to roads where the posted speed limit is below 55 mph.
The state Department of Public Safety says 41 moped drivers were killed last year.
