Just because your child might enjoy the idea of an E Scooter, that does not mean they are legal or safe, and a North Vancouver man is on the hook after allowing his son to ride while under the age of 16.

On August 4, at 7:15 p.m., a BC Highway Patrol officer spotted a small E Scooter rider in heavy traffic on Marine Drive at Pemberton Avenue, North Vancouver. The rider was wearing shorts, a T-shirt, an oversized helmet and large shoes. Suspecting that the E Scooter operator was underage, the officer stopped the rider and learned that he was 12 years old.

“Children under 16 are not allowed to operate E Scooters on public roads, bike lanes, or bike paths,” says Sergeant Michael McLaughlin with BC Highway Patrol. “We spoke to the boy’s father, explained the law, and issued a ticket.”

The father of the E Scooter rider received a ticket for allowing a person under 16 years to operate an electric kick scooter,” section 7(2) of the Electronic Kick Scooter Pilot Project Regulation, ($109).

“Police are getting an increasing number of complaints about unsafe and illegal E mobility users,” says Sergeant McLaughlin. “Our main goal is to prevent death and injury, and it looks like we’re going to have to issue more tickets before people get the message.”