Vancouver – The Vancouver Police Department (VPD) is conducting a month-long targeted campaign to enforce electric kick scooter regulations with more than 1,275 warnings and tickets handed out, so far.
“E-scooters are a great mode of transportation, but we want people to know the rules and get to their destination safely,” says VPD Insp. Stephanie Willoughby, who leads the safety initiative. “Not everyone is using them properly, so Vancouver Police officers are raising awareness about the rules and issuing tickets where necessary.”
The majority of the interactions involved a lack of helmet use with 920 warnings and tickets issued (753 warnings and 167 tickets). At least 181 tickets and warnings have been handed out to those riding an e-scooter on the sidewalk. Riding double has garnered 84 warnings and tickets, while riders under the age of 16 had police handing out at least 24 tickets and warnings.
E-scooter rules riders often missed:
- Helmets must be worn
- E-scooters must be walked on sidewalks and across crosswalks
- Doubling is not allowed
- Riders must be at least 16 years of age
- Front and rear lights should be turned on between sunset and sunrise
- E-scooters should be ridden in cycle lanes or on the far right of roads (they are not allowed on roads with speed limits above 50 km/hr)
- The maximum speed for e-scooters is 25 km/hr
“Over the summer, we saw at least one person seriously injured, and sadly one fatality,” said Willoughby. “We started the enforcement project to coincide with the start of the school year so we could help keep people safe.”
The VPD safety campaign kicked off September 4 and runs to October 4. The VPD Traffic Enforcement Unit will continue to implement ongoing safety initiatives throughout the year.
