If you're looking to get a new set of wheels this summer but you're tight on cash, riding a moped or scooter may be the perfect solution to solve your summer woes.
Mopeds and scooters are a money-saving alternative to cars - they're cheaper to buy and they save money on gas.
Julie Snyder-Yuly, assistant director for the Carrie Chapman Catt Center and women's studies program, has driven a scooter since fall 2006.
Snyder-Yuly rides in style in a pink Genuine Buddy scooter, which she has tricked out with a leopard-print seat cover, a front basket and a windshield.
Snyder-Yuly said for every 100 miles, she puts in $4-5 worth of gas.
"I save $60 every time I fill up my scooter compared to my Jeep," Snyder-Yuly said. "The savings are unbelievable."
Rise in scooter and moped sales
Amber Hengesteg, sales manager at Street and Off Road, 620 E. Lincoln Way, said scooter and moped orders are constantly increasing.
"The last three months have been crazy," Hengesteg said. "The last month we've had 50 to 60 orders every week to week-and-a-half."
A few years ago, the store didn't place orders of more than 24 units.
Road Rules
Scooter and moped laws are the same as those for cars, bicycles and motorcycles.
"It's just like a regular car, you follow the same regulations," Gray-Fisher said.
Make yourself visible by wearing brightly colored clothing and a helmet when riding a scooter or moped, Gray-Fisher said, and be cautious when passing vehicles.
