Myth vs. fact: what Ontario and Windsor rules say about e-scooters

Myth: kids can ride e-scooters if they're careful. Fact: Ontario's rules say electric kick-scooter riders must be 16 or older, under-18s need a helmet, and there are no passengers. Windsor's bylaw also bans e-scooters on sidewalks.

Topics: Roads and transitCouncil and City Hall

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E-scooters are a common sight on Windsor streets, and the rules for riding them are stricter than many people think. Windsor Police said Monday night's crash at McDougall Street and Elliott Street East sent two 12-year-old girls riding one e-scooter to hospital. Police have not said what type of e-scooter it was. Here is what Ontario and Windsor rules say.

Myth: kids can ride if they're careful

Ontario's electric kick-scooter rules, set out in a provincial pilot project regulation, say no one under 16 can operate an electric kick-scooter. That's the stand-up kind with a platform and handlebars.

Myth: there's room for two

The same rules say a rider can't carry another person, can't carry cargo and has to stand while riding.

Myth: helmets are optional

Riders under 18 must wear a bicycle helmet.

Myth: the sidewalk is safer

Windsor's Traffic By-law 9148 bans riding an e-scooter on a sidewalk. Where there's a bike lane, Ontario's rules say e-scooters have to use it. In Windsor, e-scooters are only allowed on roads and bike lanes where the speed limit is 50 km/h or less, according to a City report to council's transportation committee in April.

Seated, scooter-style e-bike?

Some electric scooters with seats and pedals count as e-bikes, which follow different rules. The basics are similar: Ontario says e-bike riders must be 16 or older and must wear an approved bicycle or motorcycle helmet, at any age.

What it means for you

If someone in your home rides, check which kind of vehicle it is and who is allowed to use it. Ontario's e-scooter safety card says the rules of the road apply to e-scooter riders, the same as for bicycles, and breaking them can mean fines. Ontario's e-scooter pilot runs until Nov. 27, 2029, and Windsor has opted in.