Low-Speed Vehicles not permitted on Thunder Bay roads

The Thunder Bay Police Service is reminding members of the public that low-speed vehicles are not allowed on public roads in the city.

A low-speed vehicle is an electric, four-wheel vehicle that is smaller and lighter than a regular car and have a maximum speed of 40 kilometres per hour. These vehicles may have many similar features to a conventional motor vehicle (seat belts, a steering wheel, pedals and speedometer), but they have fewer safety features and do not meet the same safety standards.

These may be marketed as mobility devices, but they are legislated as vehicles that are subject to Highway Traffic Act rules of the road. Electric enclosed mobility scooters that have a lower maximum speed are considered pedestrians under the Highway Traffic Act and are not to be operated on roadways as a vehicle, instead they are to use sidewalks, multi-use trails, or travel on the road shoulder against oncoming traffic.

In Ontario, low-speed vehicles are legislated through a 10-year pilot program that began in 2017 and requires municipalities to have implemented bylaws allowing their use on public roadways or sidewalks. As The City of Thunder Bay does not currently have such bylaws, these vehicles are not legal for use within Thunder Bay.

Violations can result in Highway Traffic Act charges, fines, and driving suspensions or prohibitions.