06:46 AM PDT on Wednesday, July 7, 2004

By BERNARD CHOI / KING 5 News

SEATTLE - Motorized foot scooters have been criticized for noise and safety concerns.

For many youngsters, these motorized scooters are a great way to zip around the neighborhood at speeds up to 35 mph, but Seattle City Council members say that's part of the problem.

KING Kids under 16 can no longer ride motorized scooters on Seattle streets.

"The goal of this legislation is to ensure we can protect pedestrians from this kinds of devices," said Richard Conlin, Seattle City Council.

Tuesday afternoon, the council unanimously passed a law with new restrictions.

Anyone under 16 is now prohibited from riding the scooters.

Conlin said, aside from being a noise nuisance, these scooters caused some 5,900 injuries in 2003.

With the new law, scooters have to be equipped with brakes, lights, a muffler and the rider has to wear a helmet.

Scooters may only be driven on roadways, shoulders and alleys and may not be used on sidewalks, bike lanes or public paths.

Opponents said the new law will hurt people by forcing them off the sidewalks and into traffic.

Council members admitted the law is not perfect and may require some tweaking. They will look at it again in a year to see how it's working out.

Anyone violating the new restrictions may be ticketed and fined.

In Kirkland, the City Council voted to ban scooters from sidewalks, parks and streets with speed limits exceeding 25 mph.

Drivers must be at least 15 years old, wear a helmet and use a headlight and rear reflector from dusk to dawn.

The Kirkland Transportation Commission had recommended a minimum age of 13, but council member Jim Lauinger said younger teens should be kept out of traffic because of the danger of more sophisticated and faster "pocket bikes."

The Yakima City Council also voted on scooters Tuesday. In Yakima, scooter operators will need a valid driver's license. That means anyone riding a scooter must be at least 16 years old. The new ordinance takes effect in 30 days.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.