ROANOKE (WSLS) - Some new laws are going into effect on July 1st.
1) Moped owners and operators have until July 1st to title and register mopeds with the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles. The title fee is $10. The annual registration fee is about $20. If you have previously registered your moped in the City of Roanoke you must register again at the DMV. The license plate issued by the DMV will be the appropriate plate to display after July 1, 2014. The law also requires every moped operator to have a government issued photo identification and every driver and passenger to wear a helmet. The photo ID does not have to be a driver's license.
Drivers must also wear either a face shield, safety glasses or goggles, unless the moped has a windshield. The DMV will issue one license plate per moped. The license plate will be placed on the rear of the moped. Owners can personalize their plates for an additional $10 on the registration fee.
ABOUT MOPEDS FROM THE DMV
2) A new voter identification law means documents that do not contain a photograph of the voter are no longer acceptable forms of identification when an individual is voting in person. Voters can apply for the new ID cards with local registrars.
3) A new law requiring motorists to pass bicyclists by three feet goes into effect July 1st. This gives them an extra foot from the current law.
"As we see more people choose to ride bikes or walk rather than drive their cars, this extra foot of clearance makes streets much safer for cyclists" according to Champe Burnley, President of the Virginia Bicycling Federation (VBF) who supported the legislation. "We hope that drivers will use extra care when they pass a rider and avoid potential crashes."
Virginia law currently requires a motorist to pass a bicyclist by two feet. The Commonwealth is the 21st state to pass a three foot law. According to statistics from the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) Highway Safety Office, in 2013, eight people died and more than 600 people were injured in crashes involving bicycles on Virginia roadways.