SUBPART G-1.  ELECTRIC MOBILITY AIDS

§206.  Electric mobility aids

A.  A person with a mobility impairment operating an electric mobility aid shall have the same rights as an able-bodied pedestrian to use streets, sidewalks, and walkways.  In addition, an electric mobility aid may be operated on the following roadways during daylight hours only:

(1)  A road or street where the posted speed limit is twenty-five miles per hour or less or where suitable sidewalks or bicycle paths are not available.

(2)  A marked bicycle path or designated bicycle lane.

(3)  Within any residential subdivision.

(4)  Any street or roadway when necessary to cross or as a reasonable accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act, 42 U.S.C. 12131, et seq., because of physical barriers, such as a lack of curb cuts or sidewalks, to other means of access by persons using mobility aids.

B.  An electric mobility aid shall not be considered a vehicle for purposes of defining "equipment" as referenced in Part V of Chapter 1 of this Title.

C.  A valid driver's license shall not be prerequisite to operating an electric mobility aid.

D.  Electric mobility aids shall not be required to register and be insured in accordance with R.S. 32:51.

E.  As used in this Section, an "electric mobility aid" shall mean a mobility aid, usable indoors and designed for and used by individuals and which is prescribed by a physician for a medical condition that affects the user's ability to ambulate independently.  To qualify as an electric mobility aid, a mobility aid must not be capable of exceeding a speed of twenty miles per hour on a paved surface when operating under its own power.

F.  A parish, municipality or the Department of Transportation and Development may prohibit or regulate the operation of an electric mobility aid on any road, sidewalk, street, or bicycle path under its jurisdiction if the governing body of the parish, municipality, or the Department of Transportation and Development determines that such a prohibition or regulation is necessary and in the interest of safety.

Acts 2004, No. 451, §1, eff. June 24, 2004.