South Carolina Motorcycle Rights Association

The Motorcycle Riders Foundation along with ABATE of Illinois recently met with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to discuss certain three-wheeled vehicles currently being included in the motorcycle vehicle category.  Three-wheeled vehicles are nothing new. Trikes, sidecars and the Can-Am Spyders are commonly seen on the road and even fit in at most motorcycle events. The problem is that other new forms of three-wheeled vehicles mainly emulate a car in many more ways than they do a motorcycle. Yet, this new breed wants to wear a motorcycle license plate.

This type of vehicle is definitely an emerging form of transportation, and it is likely that it will grow into a notable percentage of the vehicles on the road. The Polaris Slingshot, the Elio and the Toyota iRoad all combine different aspects of a motorcycle and passenger vehicle into one vehicle, leaving it without the worthy class of vehicle that this mode of transport needs. Autocycle perhaps?

ABATE of Illinois has already begun to address this by passing legislation to create an autocycle category. That legislation was signed into law in 2014.

All of these new types of autocycles are different, but they do have one similarity; they are not motorcycles. But because of the loose definition of a motorcycle at the federal level these vehicles can technically be categorized as a motorcycle. But therein lies the rub; some of these new vehicles have airbags, steering wheels, the powertrain of a passenger car, side-by-side seating, windshield wipers and seat belts.

“This is going to be a long, difficult road to create a new class of vehicle, but it must be done,” said Jeff Hennie, Vice President of Government Relations and Public Affairs for the Motorcycle Riders Foundation. “Opening a dialogue is the first step to address what is sure to be a big issue in the motorcycle community.”

The NHTSA team agreed that we do need to address this issue head on before it is too late. Keeping these vehicles out of the motorcycle class will ensure that inaccurate fatality and injury will be reduced.  

Creating a new class of vehicle brings many challenges. Training and licensing will have to be modified, helmet laws will be blurred, and expert crash reporting will be crucial, but it’s only fair that they get their own class of vehicle, because they are clearly not motorcycles or passenger cars.