Vancouver police issue more than 1,275 tickets and warnings in e-scooter enforcement blitz

Vancouver police have issued more than 1,275 tickets and warnings to e-scooter riders during a month-long enforcement blitz, the department said Friday. The campaign began Sept. 4 and will continue through this weekend. It targets riding without a helmet, riding below the legal age of 16 and riding on sidewalks. Police said helmet violations accounted for most of the incidents flagged, resulting in 167 tickets and 753 warnings. Officers have also issued 84 tickets and warnings for carrying a second rider and 181 for riding on the sidewalk.

Insp. Stephanie Willoughby said in a statement that at least one person was seriously injured over the summer and there was one fatality. Police began the enforcement project to coincide with the start of the school year to help keep people safe. Willoughby said e-scooters are a good way to get around, but riders need to know the rules and reach their destination safely. Officers are raising awareness and issuing tickets where necessary.

In June, B.C. Children’s Hospital raised the alarm about a spike in e-scooter injuries. More than half of the injured riders had not been wearing helmets. Doctors said most patients were also between 13 and 15 years old, below the legal riding age, and most had been speeding.

B.C. limits electric kick scooters to 25 km/h. Devices capable of going faster are not legal on roads, although some off-market and online retailers sell models that can travel significantly faster. Vancouver police said riders cannot carry a second person, despite seeing many young people do so. E-scooters may be ridden only in bike lanes or on the far right of roadways, and are prohibited on roads with speed limits above 50 km/h.