E-scooter Injuries Are Rising In Canada. Are You Thinking About An E-Scooter As a Gift? What should families know.
On November 7, 2026, a woman died after an e-scooter carrying two people collided with a transit bus in downtown Vancouver. Vancouver police reported that neither person on the scooter was wearing a helmet. As Christmas approaches and e-scooters appear on young people’s wish lists, parents and caregivers may be weighing whether to put one under the tree (1).
The Canadian Paediatric Society recommends that children under 16 stay off e-scooters, even as passengers. E-scooters accelerate quickly, and younger riders may lack the strength, coordination and experience to handle them safely, especially around traffic (2).
What the Canadian numbers show
From April 2025 to March 2026, Canada recorded 837 hospitalizations for e-scooter injuries, up 39% from 601 the previous year. Among children aged 15 and under, hospitalizations nearly tripled, from 54 to 150. Broken bones and head or brain injuries were among the most common reasons for admission (3).
Hospital admissions capture only part of the injury burden. Some people are treated in emergency departments and sent home, while others receive care elsewhere or never seek treatment.
A separate 2025 survey of Canadian paediatricians received 57 reports of severe injuries or deaths involving powered mobility devices, including 10 reported deaths. The survey covered e-scooters, e-bikes and other powered devices. Of the 14 reports that identified the device, 12 involved an e-scooter (4).
How old do you have to be to ride an e-scooter in Canada?
As of November 9, 2026, Canada has no single minimum age for riding a stand-up electric kick scooter. In British Columbia, riders must be at least 16 in communities participating in the provincial pilot, including Vancouver. B.C.’s rules also limit e-scooters to one rider with no passengers . If there’s no bike lane or multi-use path, you can generally ride near the right edge of a permitted road posted at 50 km/h or less. Roads posted above 50 km/h have tighter restrictions. A compliant scooter must have a motor rated at 500 watts or less and a maximum powered speed of 25 km/h on level pavement (5)(6).
Here in Langford BC where we live, we also have a municipal By-Law (7). In Langford, B.C., you must be at least 16 to ride a stand-up electric kick scooter on public streets where riding is permitted. The age limit comes from B.C.’s pilot regulation. Langford’s Streets and Traffic Bylaw No. 2233, adopted March 16, 2026, adds local rules about where and how you can ride.What Langford’s bylaw requires
Stay off sidewalks and follow signs that prohibit e-scooters.
Use the bike lane or multi-use pathway when one is available along that stretch of street. The bylaw bars riders from using the motor-vehicle lane in that situation.
Ride single file. Riding beside another person in the same lane is prohibited.
Wear a bicycle safety helmet. The bylaw provides limited exemptions.
Use front and rear lights and a red rear reflector from 30 minutes after sunset until 30 minutes before sunrise.
Saskatchewan and Ontario also set the minimum at 16 where municipalities permit riding. Toronto prohibits e-scooters on public streets, sidewalks, bike lanes, trails and in parks. Prince Edward Island sets the minimum at 16, while Quebec and Nova Scotia allow riders as young as 14 where e-scooters are permitted.
In Alberta, the rules depend on the city and whether the scooter is rented or privately owned. Calgary and Edmonton require riders to be 18 or older to use shared rentals. Calgary lists no minimum age for personal e-scooters and allows them on marked pathways. Edmonton prohibits personal e-scooters on city property such as streets and bike lanes.
In Manitoba, e-scooters are currently prohibited on public streets. New provincial rules taking effect in 2027 will set the minimum riding age at 16.
No province wide e-scooter minimum age was identified in New Brunswick or Newfoundland and Labrador. Local rules and rental terms can still apply. Fredericton, for example, directs riders to designated routes where municipal bylaws allow e-scooters, and iRoll requires riders in Greater Moncton to be at least 16. Newfoundland and Labrador consulted on possible new rules in 2026.
Yukon has no territory-wide minimum, though Whitehorse regulates where e-scooters can be ridden and requires helmets at every age. No e-scooter-specific minimum age was identified in force in the Northwest Territories or Nunavut. The Northwest Territories is considering legislation to regulate e-scooters, and general traffic rules and local bylaws can still apply in Nunavut.
Set the rules before the first ride
If you as a parent or caregiver allow a child under 16 to use an e-scooter, talk about your family’s rule before a friend offers them a turn or someone offers them a lift. The Canadian Paediatric Society’s recommendation applies even where the law allows younger riders. A regular bicycle or a non-motorized kick scooter is a safer way to practise balancing, steering and braking.
For teens 16 and older, check the provincial and municipal rules together before buying or renting an e-scooter. Confirm they meet the minimum age and can ride legally on the roads or paths they plan to use. If they’re allowed to ride, agree on these basics before they head out.
Wear a properly fitted, certified helmet every time.
Ride one person per scooter.
Have a bell to warn pedestrains that you are approaching
Use protected bike lanes where riding is permitted. Slow down near pedestrians and adjust your speed to the conditions.
Put phones and earbuds away while riding. Leave the manufacturer’s speed and acceleration settings in place.
If an e-scooter is on your child’s Christmas wish list, use it as a chance to talk about what happens when a friend offers them a turn or a ride home. For children under 16, follow the Canadian Paediatric Society’s advice and keep them off e-scooters, even as passengers. A bike or a non-motorized scooter can still give them a way to get around on their own.
If your older teen is legally allowed to ride, plan their first trip together before you buy or rent. Look at where they can ride, where they’ll encounter traffic and what they’ll do if a friend asks for a lift. Make the basics part of every ride from day one, a properly fitted helmet, one rider per scooter, and a route they can handle.
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