In response to an objection by interested individuals to the fact that Virginia law classifies three-wheeled, motorized invalid vehicles as motorcycles and subjects them to all registration, safety inspection, and operator requirements applicable to other vehicles in that category, the Highway Safety Division of Virginia requested that the Virginia Highway and Transportation Research Council poll fifteen states which permit or prohibit the use of such vehicles on public highways in order to evaluate a request by the objectiving individuals for a change in the classification. The survey of states disclosed widely differing degrees of regulation and an absence of concise data with respect to the number of invalid vehicles in use, the degree to which they are involved in accidents, and the frequency of their use. On the basis of the information obtained in the survey, it is recommended that Virginia's law be amended to create a special vehicle classification for motorized invalid chairs. /Author/.
Abstract