A 12-year-old youth is recovering from a e-scooter crash involving a car in North Vancouver.
North Vancouver RCMP say that on June 10, around 5 p.m., they responded to reports of a collision between a 12-year-old on an e-scooter and a car near Colwood Drive and Fairmont Road.
Police and paramedics attended the scene, say police.
It is alleged that the 12-year-old was riding an e-scooter along Colwood Drive when they struck a black VW Jetta.
The youth was taken to the hospital with minor injuries, police say.
“We’re just thankful that the 12-year-old wasn’t seriously injured. They were taken to hospital, and we have since followed up with the parent of the 12-year-old and have issued them a violation ticket for allowing someone under the age of 16 to ride a kick scooter,” said Cpl. Mansoor Sahak, media relations officer for North Vancouver RCMP.
Police remind the public that there are rules around using e-scooters, including being over the age of 16.
“Unsuspecting parents are purchasing these very expensive kick scooters, dirt bikes [for] their kids and without really knowing the rules and regulations. And we’ve done months and months of education campaigns targeting parents and youth about letting them know about the rules and regulations,” said Sahak.
North Vancouver RCMP have now moved to the enforcement stage.
“If you’re breaking the rules, you could be faced with the violation ticket. And this particular incident, it was $109 fine.”
There are many rules and regulations around the use of electric kick scooters. They include being at least 16 to operate, you cannot ride on sidewalks, have a maximum speed of 25 km/h, wear a helmet, and having front and back lights.
Parents should make themselves aware of the rules before purchasing an e-scooter for their kids.
“The rules are there for a reason. We need to follow them. It’s to prevent injuries and tragedies from occurring. The last thing that our officers want to do is deliver a terrible news to a parent that their child is dead.”
“We need parents on board here. We need them to educate themselves and take, you know, a little bit of a stance on this and we’re going to hold them accountable.”
With a file from Ben Bouguerra