A person under the 16 and their parents are facing multiple charges and must appear in court after the youth was stopped in Rockland for driving and electronic bike (e-bike) that exceeded provincial limits for e-bikes.

An Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) officer was patrolling in the Rockland area on the afternoon of Friday, May 22 when they saw a youth on an e-bike riding on Laurier Street.

The officer stopped the rider, who was under the age of 16. The youth stated that a parent purchased the Surron model bike for him. The driver did not have a driver’s license, and the e-bike was not insured, nor did it have any license plates.

The e-bike possessed a maximum power of 8000 watts and a max speed of 75 kilometres per hour (75 km/h) classifying it as a motorcycle under the Highway Traffic Act (HTA). Under the HTA, an e-bike must have a maximum motor output of 500 watts and a maximum speed of 32 km/h.

The youth was charged with driving a motor vehicle with no license and driving a vehicle with no permit while his parents were charged with owner permitting operation of uninsured motor vehicle and permitting a person under 16 to drive.

Both parties were served Part III notices with mandatory court dates.

Russell County OPP have received numerous traffic complaints regarding these types of vehicles recently and will be continuing with this type of traffic enforcement.

FYI

Many high-performance models (such as Surron bikes) exceed these limits. If a vehicle breaches Ontario’s e-bike restrictions, it is legally considered a motor vehicle. Operating it without the proper licence, plates, or insurance is an offence under the HTA.

Not all “e-bikes” sold online or in stores are legal for road use. If a vehicle exceeds Ontario’s e-bike limits, it is considered a motor vehicle and requires licensing, registration, and insurance. For more information on Ontario e-bike laws visit www.ontario.ca/page/driving-and-road-safety.