Nanaimo e-scooter crash prompts helmet warning

Police issued a reminder about the importance of helmets and the fact that 16 is the the minimum age for e-scooter use after a youth was injured in a collision with a vehicle.

Nanaimo RCMP are stressing the importance of proper helmet use after an e-scooter rider was injured in a collision with a passenger vehicle. The e-scooter rider’s helmet wasn’t properly secured and came off in the crash, and the youth required medical attention, police said. The injured rider was one of two youths riding e-scooters together at high speed along the sidewalk — which is illegal — at the intersection of Uplands Drive and Villa Road about 3:30 p.m. on July 9, when one of the e-scooters collided with a vehicle turning right.

Police said the riders were also under 16, which is the minimum legal age for operating an e-scooter. Both youths were issued tickets for riding on the sidewalk and being underage. The incident is a reminder that e-scooters and e-bikes “are not toys,” said Insp.

Donovan Tait, Nanaimo RCMP operations officer. “These are vehicles that can travel at significant speeds and, when operated improperly, can result in serious injuries.” He said that officers, including members of the detachment’s youth section, are working to help young riders understand the rules and regulations to prevent them from getting hurt.

West Shore RCMP recently said they had received more than 30 complaints since May regarding the unsafe use of e-scooters, e-bikes and e-dirt bikes, which represents a significant increase. Last month, a helmetless 15-year-old e-scooter rider collided with a commercial van in Nanaimo. The teen received tickets for not wearing a helmet and operating the e-scooter underage.

Police in Campbell River, Port Alberni and the Cowichan Valley have also issued warnings in recent weeks about the use of e-dirt bikes on public roads, which is illegal.