Mandatory Helmets

The e-scooter pilot program regulation to the Highway Traffic Act requires riders under 18 to wear helmets. Based on e-scooter injury experience from other jurisdictions, staff of the Windsor Regional Hospital Trauma Unit and the Windsor Essex County Health Department have recommended that helmets be required for all e-scooter riders, regardless of age. Windsor Regional Police staff were consulted on this recommendation; they concurred. The proposed amendment to Traffic By-law 9148 in Appendix 1 reflects this recommendation.

This approach is similar to the approach in the Highway Traffic Act for e-bike riders, who also require helmets regardless of age.

E-scooters and Higher-Speed Roads

The e-scooter pilot program regulation to the Highway Traffic Act allows municipalities to prohibit e-scooters from categories or classes of roadways by by-law.

The proposed amendment to Traffic By-law 9148 in Appendix 1 prohibits e-scooters from roadways with a speed limit higher than 50 km/h. This recommendation is based on two main factors:

• Allowing e-scooters on streets with speed limits up to 50 km/h will allow generally good route connectivity for e-scooter riders, since most streets in Windsor have a 50 km/h speed limit.

• Prohibiting e-scooters from higher-speed roadways will limit cases where there is a large difference in speeds between e-scooters and nearby vehicles.

In cases where a higher-speed roadway has an off-road cycling facility (e.g. a multi-use trail), the e-scooter would be allowed on the cycling facility.

In the planned follow-up report, Administration will recommend whether this restriction should be changed.

Sidewalks and Trails

As a preliminary recommendation, Administration recommends prohibiting e-scooters from parks, including the riverfront trail. This restriction is in keeping with the current prohibition on e-bikes on parks trails and is in line with the approach that several American jurisdictions have taken to e-scooters in parks with high levels of pedestrian traffic.

As experience is gained with e-scooters in Windsor and other Ontario municipalities, Administration recommends that this preliminary restriction be revisited, and that the follow-up report provide recommendations on whether the e-scooter restriction on parks trails should remain, or if e-scooters should be allowed in certain parks.