Nova Scotia plans to prohibit children under 14 from riding e-bikes and e-scooters.
The age restriction is part of a slate of changes that will be made to the province’s Traffic Safety Act this fall, said Public Works Minister Fred Tilley on Thursday.
Electronic scooters have gained popularity over the past few years and with greater use comes greater risk, he said.
“The technology on bicycles and cars is changing on the daily, which allows these conveyances to move faster,” Tilley said. “You start to get into a different level of conveyance than a traditional bicycle or cycle.”
Last year, the Canadian Institute for Health Information said e-scooter injuries were on the rise across Canada.
It said there were 498 e-scooter hospitalizations in 2023-2024, a 32 per cent increase from the previous year.
That rise was much greater for children ages five to 17, Stephanie Cowle, director of knowledge and transition at Parachute Canada, told Global News. Parachute Canada is an organization and consulting firm targeting injury prevention.
Get breaking National news
“There are particular risks for children, but we also want to think about the safety of adults using these devices,” she said.
Regulations differ across jurisdictions, but Cowle said many provinces mandate helmets, restrict where the devices can be ridden and post limits for how fast they can go.
“There are rental or rideshare companies that put speed limiters on the devices. However, we’re also seeing people finding ways to get around those limiters and go much faster,” she said. “Right now in Canada, there are not any regulations that I am aware of that limit the speed of an e-bike or an e-scooter that you can purchase.”
Cowle said some devices can reach speeds as high as 70 km/h.
“If we compare that to your typical bike that you’re pedalling, the average person is likely going less than 20 kilometres an hour on a bike. So you can see that’s a big difference,” she said.
- Addiction experts say recent flood of gambling ads a problem for some Albertans
- Canada must ‘be vigilant’ of foreign actors targeting technology: minister
- Clinics, technicians unsure of Alberta’s new self-referral method for health tests
- Supreme Court to hear case on constitutionality of requiring oath to the Crown
Some provinces are considering creating more classifications that would require riders of higher-speed devices to be licensed. In some parts of Europe, devices that travel faster than 25 km/h are considered mopeds and require a licence. Quebec also requires a unique class of licence for riders aged 14 to 17.
On Thursday, representatives from Nova Scotia’s NDP and Liberal party said they welcome regulations targeting e-bikes and e-scooters from the governing Progressive Conservatives.
“This is something that is really emerging in communities across the province. So we want to make sure that as anything new comes online that people are safe, that all of the restrictions are looked at,” Derek Mombourquette, Liberal MLA for Sydney-Membertou, said.
“We know that whenever there is a disruptive technology or transportation or anything like that, the government has to play catch-up to regulate, and that is the case here,” NDP leader Claudia Chender said.
Chender said, however, that she wants to see the data the government is relying on before she supports this particular initiative.
P.E.I., Quebec, Ontario, Saskatchewan, Alberta and B.C. all have age restrictions in place for e-bikes and e-scooters.
From what I witness on a daily basis in B.C. I think all the provinces should adopt these requirements! For the provinces leading the way I applaud you 👏 this will save lives & a car drivers nerves.