Mopeds more popular as gas prices rise

From The Associated Press

With gasoline prices in the state swinging back and forth around $4 per gallon, more Michigan motorists are riding mopeds.

The low-horsepower machines can cruise 100 miles on a gallon of gas.

The secretary of state's office says 17,064 mopeds were registered in Michigan in 2000, and by 2010, that number had risen to 40,978.

The price of gas is a major reason Kim Jackson of Dearborn has been riding a moped for the past two years.

 The mother of two also drives a minivan, but she tells The Detroit News for a story Saturday the moped is good for running small errands and visiting friends.

 While most newer mopeds resemble scooters, older models look like bicycles and have pedals.