You may notice some new green vehicles out for a ride along local roads this summer.
The OPP are asking all of us to become familiar with e-bikes as we enter the first summer season that they’re allowed on Ontario roads.
Constable Steve Starr says there’s been confusion with both the public and police officers over these new vehicles as they show up in our region.
But Starr says electric power assisted bicycles were quietly approved by the provincial government about 7 months ago following a 3 year pilot project.
Starr says you don’t need a licence to drive an e-bike and the rules governing them mirror those of a standard riding bicycle – with 2 major exceptions.
First you have to be at least 16 years old to operate an e-bike and second it’s mandatory that all riders wear an approved motorcycle or bicycle helmet.
There is no helmet exception for those over 18 years old as there is with regular bicycles.
Starr also says if you’re in the market for one of these new vehicles you need to make sure it meets certain qualifying specifications that make it an e-bike.
An e-bike can weigh no more than 120 kilograms, it must have 2 braking systems that apply force separately to the front and rear wheels, and its top speed cannot exceed 32 kilometres an hour on level ground.
If the vehicle exceeds or doesn’t meet those qualifications it may not be allowed on the roads and may require a special licence.
Starr is also asking that other motorists respect e-bikes and share the road with them the same way they do with standard bicycles.
