E-bikes and e-scooters need clearer rules, more data: CAA-Quebec

CTV News

2 days ago

There are several gaps in regulations and a lack of data about electric scooters and bikes on Quebec roads, a study by CAA-Quebec shows.
The study by the Traffic Injury Research Foundation highlighted these concerns as more users take to micromobility as a form of transport.
'There's a lot of lacking data. We find that there's also a lack of uniformity in the legislation. So this is why we say that the objective was… we have to do something, because it's just not going to stand the road,' explained CAA-Quebec president Andre Durocher.
Part of the issue is that there are no norms across the country or even across municipalities in the same province, and that can create confusion, said Durocher.
Further, some of the data on collisions is inconsistent and lacks essential information, including whether an e-bike or e-scooter was even involved.
'For example, people on a scooter, if you hit a pothole, the injuries could be serious,' Durocher said, explaining that police reports don't always clearly state if the collision involved an electric micromobility vehicle.
'There's still a lot of information missing with regards to, for example, the injuries.'
The study also highlights the fact that some people are unaware of basic regulations surrounding e-bikes and e-scooters, including that the minimum age for driving an electric scooter is 14, and that helmets are mandatory.
The research also shows that more serious injuries are typically caused at higher speeds.
Durocher said the new forms of electric micromobility are 'innovation and practical' but simply need more regulation and better accident reporting.
'We have a nice problem, because it means that we have other alternatives than the automobile, which is great for the environment. It's great, you know, to clear up traffic,' he said. 'But now, how do you manage that coexistence?'
CAA-Quebec highlighted these regulations from Quebec's automobile insurance agency, the Société de l'assurance automobile du Québec.
Regulations in Quebec
In general, the rules of the road that must be obeyed by users of motorized personal transport vehicles such as electric scooters are similar to those for cyclists:
Ride as close as possible to the curb or on the right side of the roadway and in the same direction as traffic
On the shoulder, ride in the same direction as traffic
Do not ride on sidewalks (except in certain special cases)
Yield to pedestrians at a pedestrian crossing
The following are prohibited under the pilot project launched by the Government of Quebec in July 2023: