Vancouver police find most e-scooter riders stopped were not wearing helmets

Vancouver police stepped up enforcement against e-scooter riders breaking the rules in September. Police said they had issued 1,226 tickets to riders since Sept. 4, most for not wearing helmets. Insp. Stephanie Willoughby of the Vancouver Police Department said officers stopped 920 riders who were not wearing helmets. Of those, 167 received tickets and 753 received warnings. Willoughby said police hope riders will tell others about their interactions with officers and that this will encourage people to wear helmets in future.

Riding on a sidewalk resulted in 22 tickets and 159 warnings. Riding double or carrying a passenger led to two tickets and 82 warnings. The Vancouver police safety blitz is continuing through the weekend.

E-scooter riders must wear helmets, walk their scooters on sidewalks and across crosswalks, ride alone and be at least 16 years old. Front and rear lights should be on between sunset and sunrise. Riders should use cycle lanes or the far right side of roads; e-scooters are not allowed on roads with speed limits above 50 km/h. The maximum speed is 25 km/h.

In July, 30-year-old Shyan Lolly was riding an e-scooter near Venables Street and Commercial Drive at 10 a.m. when she collided with the side of a vehicle. She was not wearing a helmet and hit her head on the ground. She was conscious when taken to hospital but died from her injuries on July 11. Her family made a public plea for e-scooter riders to wear helmets.