Video shows man riding electric scooter on Highway 1 in British Columbia

A man was caught on camera riding an electric scooter on the Trans-Canada Highway in Burnaby, British Columbia, recently.

A video of the incident, captured by a driver’s dash cam, was posted on social media last Thursday.

“The BC Highway Patrol has noted that any vehicle that is not capable of traveling 60 km/h is prohibited from operating on Highway 1,” a spokesperson said in an email.

“It is illegal to ride a scooter on the highway. It is very dangerous for the driver due to vehicles passing at high speeds, vehicles having to use the shoulder in an emergency, or other hazards on the shoulder. The driver could be injured.”

E-scooters are not yet legal province-wide in British Columbia. The province began piloting the use of e-scooters in communities in 2021. The second phase of the pilot, described by the province as a “safety review,” began earlier this year.

“The review helps to collect better health and safety data, which is needed to answer outstanding questions about the safe integration of e-scooters into transport networks,” the Department for Transport said in a statement in December 2023.

“This will help determine whether and how e-scooters should be permanently permitted for general use in British Columbia.”

You don’t need a driver’s license to ride an e-scooter, but the province has set a set of standards and rules, including a minimum age of 16, helmet requirements and a ban on riding a scooter while intoxicated or distracted. On roads with a speed limit higher than 50 km/h, scooters are only allowed on designated bike lanes.

“These rules are the law. You could be fined $109, have your device seized, or face other penalties of up to $2,000 if you don’t follow these safety rules,” the province’s website says.

In addition to these regulations, local governments participating in the provincial pilot program may establish additional rules and impose additional fines by adopting administrative by-laws.