Migrants are driving around Washington, D.C., on motorbikes and motorized scooters without license plates or insurance, according to a Monday report by the Daily Signal.
An investigation conducted by the news outlet revealed that many individuals illegally driving unregistered bikes around the D.C. area have not been confronted by the police.
After interviewing about a dozen drivers, the Daily Signal reported that the Metropolitan Police Department seems to be largely ignoring the illegal activity amid an uptick in more motorbikes on the road.
Many individuals are acquiring motorized vehicles to generate income by delivering food. The investigation revealed that a large portion of the bikes lack license plates and are, therefore, unlikely to be properly registered or insured.
According to D.C. law, motorcycles containing engines larger than 50 cubic centimeters must be registered with the Department of Motor Vehicles within 30 days and display a license plate. Motorized bicycles that can go above 20 miles per hour must also be registered and have valid insurance.
In D.C., illegal immigrants with notice to appear documents may obtain “a temporary D.C. DMV [driver’s] license or identification card for the duration of processing time indicated in the notice up to a maximum of 18 months.”
A motorized bike shop employee told the Daily Signal that “police don’t give any attention” to drivers riding bikes without a license. The worker explained that the shop provides motorbike purchasers with a license plate that reads “49cc” to avert suspicion about the motors’ actual size. The shop sells only bikes with motors larger than 50cc.
Nearly all bike drivers interviewed by the Daily Signal admitted to illegally crossing the southern border into the country. All of those questioned were driving bikes without license plates. Despite lacking the proper plates, many stated that police had not stopped them at any point.
One American driver told the news outlet he was using a 50cc bike until he noticed others with larger bikes were not getting pulled over.
“Bro, to be honest, they don’t even do nothing,” he told the Daily Signal.
According to the driver, the local police appear to be treating 50cc and 150cc bikes “the same.” He called it “a weird loophole.”
Tom Lynch, a spokesperson for the D.C. Metropolitan Police Department, told the news outlet that the drivers violating license and registration laws are “testing their luck.” He noted that there was no way of knowing whether officers had seen the interviewed drivers who were in violation.
The police department said in a statement, “Chief [Pamela] Smith has heard the concerns from the community about traffic safety and is working to strengthen MPD’s traffic enforcement.”
“So far, MPD has conducted 40 Traffic Safety Compliance Checkpoints across the District. Nearly 19,000 vehicles have passed through these checkpoints, resulting in over 2,600 notice of infractions, 84 arrests and the recovery of 13 firearms,” the spokesperson continued.
The department added that it aims to achieve Mayor Muriel Bowser’s (D) Vision Zero initiative, which seeks “zero fatalities or serious injuries” by clamping down on “speeding, distracted driving, impaired driving, and other violations.”
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