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CBC
23-05-2025
- Automotive
- CBC
Enclosed mobility scooters spark debate in small northern Ontario town, about where they can be driven
Social Sharing At a recent public meeting in the small northern Ontario town of Sturgeon Falls, debate erupted over enclosed mobility scooters and where they can legally be driven. One man said an Ontario Provincial Police officer warned him she should drive his mobility scooter on the road, instead of the sidewalk, even though the vehicle isn't licensed. In fact, the scooters, which look like tiny cars but are designed to be mobility devices, limited at maximum speeds of 30 kilometres per hour, should legally only be driven on sidewalks in Ontario or on the road shoulder, against incoming traffic. "It's still considered a pedestrian unless it's been somehow modified to change horsepower and speed capacity and that sort of thing," Howard Lightle, an associate lawyer with Orendorff and Associates in Sudbury, told CBC News. "It is not insured under an automobile policy typically." Cindy Penasse used to drive one around Sturgeon Falls and told CBC News she's angered people driving her enclosed mobility scooter on the sidewalk. "They had a bit of road rage because I was riding on the sidewalk where there were some people walking on the sidewalk," she said, referring to one particular incident. But if she drives the scooter on the road, that upsets people as well. "In their eyes it's a slower moving vehicle and they are annoyed by that," she said. WATCH| The CBC's Warren Schlote test drives an enclosed mobility scooter Test driving an enclosed mobility scooter 1 day ago Duration 3:08 Penasse said she sold her scotter and now just gets around using a cane and her father in North Bay has similarly traded it in for an electric wheelchair. She said more education is needed to inform people who need the scooters, and the general public, about what they are and how they should be used. "Most people, they don't have a disability, just think it's just a joyride," she said. "Like they don't understand the meaning of why a person purchases that." OPP Const. Rob Lewis gave a presentation at the Sturgeon Falls meeting to inform those present about the laws surrounding enclosed mobility scooters. "These vehicles are ahead of the laws," he said in an interview. "Basically, the MTO [Ministry of Transportation] has not caught up to how to regulate these vehicles." But during his presentation Lewis had a slideshow that talked about low-speed electric vehicles that can be driven on roads, but had a photo of an enclosed mobility scooter.
CBC
22-05-2025
- Automotive
- CBC
Mini car or mobility device? Enclosed scooters raise questions in northern Ontario
Test driving an enclosed mobility scooter 19 minutes ago Duration 3:08 Social Sharing Enclosed mobility scooters are becoming more popular in northern Ontario, but that's also led to questions about which rules of the road they should follow. They look like tiny cars and can reach speeds of up to 30 kilometres per hour. Some models even include features like air conditioning and power windows. But they can't legally be driven on roads. "It's still considered a pedestrian unless it's been somehow modified to change horsepower and speed capacity and that sort of thing," said Howard Lightle, an associate lawyer with Orendorff and Associates in Sudbury. "So it would not be much different really than running into someone driving a bicycle. You're still considered a pedestrian. It is not insured under an automobile policy typically." Lightle said most homeowners or tenant insurance policies would cover enclosed mobility scooters in case of a crash. North Bay Police Const. Douglas MacIntosh said it's worrying to see them on busy city streets, including the Transcanada Highway. "Unfortunately they have minimal impact protection. They don't go through standard car crash regulations," he said. MacIntosh said North Bay Police officers have stopped some enclosed mobility scooter drivers who were treating them like cars. But because they're still new, he said they've given the drivers a grace period with a warning and education about how they should be driven. "We're not trying to give them fines in the range of $50 to $65," he said. "We're trying to prevent collisions because, frankly, they're not going to win in a collision against a 5,000-pound motor vehicle." By law, the scooters should be driven on the sidewalk or on the left shoulder of the road, facing traffic. Ontario Provincial Police Const. Rob Lewis said those rules lead to more public confusion since there are some "low-speed" electric vehicles that are considered road-legal. "These vehicles are ahead of the laws," he said, referring to enclosed mobility scooters. "Basically, the MTO [Ministry of Transportation] has not caught up to how to regulate these vehicles." This just allows them to continue on with their independence for a longer period. - Gilbert Foucault, owner, Sudbury E-Bike Gilbert Foucault, the owner of Sudbury E-Bike, sells a popular brand called the Daymak Boomerbuggy. Foucault said he educates all of his customers about the rules of the road when they purchase an enclosed mobility scooter. "If you're coming to a store like this where we service them, we're going to explain that to you before you leave the store or even before you purchase the unit," he said. "We don't want you thinking that it's the car." But people who buy their enclosed mobility scooters online, or secondhand, may not get that benefit and would have to do their own research on the relevant laws. Despite that confusion surrounding enclosed mobility scooters, Foucault said he expects them to only get more popular. "It's independence," he said.
