Vaughan Should Ban E-Scooters for Minors Before a Child Is Killed

A recent incident involving one of my customers should serve as a warning about the growing use of electric scooters on Vaughan's roads.

My customer was driving his brand-new Honda Passport. While he was completely stopped at a red light, a young scooter rider who appeared to be approximately 17 years old approached while looking at a phone instead of the road.

The scooter crashed directly into the side of the stationary Passport. The impact caused enough damage that the entire door had to be replaced.

Thankfully, the young rider was not seriously injured.

The vehicle can be repaired. A damaged door can be replaced. A child's life cannot.

This Is Not About Blaming a Child

The purpose of sharing this story is not to embarrass or attack the young rider. Teenagers make mistakes. They become distracted, underestimate danger and sometimes act before fully considering the consequences.

That is exactly why adults and governments create age restrictions.

We do not allow children to drive cars simply because they can physically operate the steering wheel and pedals. New drivers must reach a minimum age, pass written and practical tests, follow graduated licensing restrictions and carry insurance.

Under Ontario's e-scooter pilot, a rider does not need a driver's licence or road test to operate a qualifying e-scooter. Municipal and operator insurance rules can differ, but the provincial pilot does not create the same training and licensing system used for drivers.

A Scooter Is Not a Toy Once It Enters Traffic

An electric scooter may look like a recreational toy, but a qualifying e-scooter can travel at up to 24 kilometres per hour under Ontario's pilot rules. At that speed, a rider looking at a phone can travel several metres without seeing what is ahead.

Vaughan currently runs a shared micromobility pilot. The City says shared devices are speed-limited and geographically restricted to appropriate facilities such as bike lanes, cycle tracks and roadways with posted speeds under 50 kilometres per hour. More generally, Ontario's pilot rules apply only where a municipality has opted in and passed the required bylaw.

There is almost no protection around the rider. There are no airbags, seatbelts, doors or metal frames. In a collision, the scooter rider's body absorbs the impact.

This time, the scooter hit a stopped vehicle. Imagine what could have happened if the Passport had been moving through the intersection or if the rider had entered the path of an approaching truck.

The Current Helmet Law Is Not for Every Age

Ontario currently permits people aged 16 and older to operate qualifying e-scooters. Riders under 18 must wear a bicycle helmet.

So your instinct is close, but the law is not currently mandatory for all ages. An adult rider is not covered by Ontario's specific e-scooter helmet requirement. Vaughan's public rules page states the same under-18 requirement.

My recommendation is stronger than the current law: make helmets mandatory for every rider, regardless of age. A helmet should not become optional on the day someone turns 18.

Being Able to Ride Is Not the Same as Being Ready for Traffic

The minimum legal age does not answer the larger safety question: should a 16- or 17-year-old be operating a motorized device in traffic without formal training or supervision?

Teenagers can be intelligent and responsible, but attention control, hazard recognition, impulse control and decision-making continue developing through adolescence. That is one reason young drivers are placed under graduated licensing systems.

An inexperienced scooter rider may not fully understand:

• how quickly a vehicle can enter an intersection;
• how difficult it is for a driver to see a small scooter;
• how long a car requires to stop;
• how dangerous a blind spot can be;
• how serious the financial and legal consequences of a collision may become; or
• how one glance at a phone can result in permanent injury or death.

The Number of Youth Injuries Is Increasing

This concern is not based on one damaged Honda.

SickKids reported treating 16 children and youth for e-scooter-related injuries during June and July 2024, compared with five during the same two months in 2023. The hospital specifically identified young age, motor-vehicle interaction and lack of helmet use as risk factors for serious injury.

Nationally, the Canadian Institute for Health Information has reported a 22% increase in hospitalizations from e-scooter injuries. That is an all-age, Canada-wide figure, not a Vaughan count, but it is another reason to treat e-scooters as traffic devices rather than toys.

We should not wait until a child in Vaughan is killed before deciding that the existing rules are not strong enough.

Vaughan Should Ban E-Scooter Use by Minors

Vaughan and the Province of Ontario should raise the minimum operating age for electric scooters to 18.

Anyone under 18 should not be allowed to operate an e-scooter on public roads, bike lanes or multi-use pathways where they could encounter vehicle traffic.

This would not be a punishment. It would be a protective boundary, similar to the restrictions placed on driving, alcohol, tobacco and other activities that require mature judgment.

A stronger safety system should also include:

• a complete prohibition on using or holding a phone while riding;
• mandatory helmets for every rider, regardless of age;
• basic road-safety education before operating a scooter;
• visible identification or registration for scooters used on public roads;
• clear responsibility for property damage and injuries;
• meaningful fines for dangerous riding; and
• stronger enforcement against sidewalk riding, carrying passengers and ignoring traffic signals.

The City should also reconsider whether privately owned e-scooters belong on roads shared with full-sized vehicles at all. Where properly separated scooter infrastructure does not exist, allowing scooters into traffic may create more danger than convenience.

Parents Also Have a Responsibility

Parents should think carefully before purchasing an electric scooter for a teenager.

The important question is not only, “Will my child enjoy it?” Parents should ask:

• Does my child understand traffic laws?
• Will my child put the phone away?
• Can my child recognize a vehicle's blind spot?
• Who will pay if my child damages a vehicle or injures someone?
• Is saving a few minutes of travel worth the risk of a serious head injury?

A teenager may promise to be careful. However, one notification, one message or one moment of poor judgment can change several lives.

Protect Children Before Tragedy Forces Us to Act

My customer's Honda Passport required an entire replacement door. That is expensive and frustrating, especially on a brand-new vehicle.

But the damaged vehicle is not the most important part of this story.

The most important fact is that the young rider survived without a serious injury.

Next time, the outcome may be different.

Rules protecting children should be written before a fatal collision, not afterward. Vaughan should prohibit minors from operating electric scooters in public traffic areas and introduce stronger regulations for every rider.

Convenience should never be more important than a child's life.