Fernie e-bike and scooter safety is becoming increasingly important as more electric bikes, e-dirt bikes and scooters appear on local streets and pathways.

With students heading back to school, the timing matters. Fernie’s pathways will once again be busy with children walking and cycling, families, dog walkers, commuters and other users.

Electric transportation is a good thing. E-bikes can replace short vehicle trips, give young people more independence and make getting around Fernie easier.

But not every electric two-wheeler is a legal e-bike, and not every device being ridden around town is legal on Fernie streets or appropriate for pedestrian pathways.

Electric bikes are commonly described as:

Class 1: Pedal-assist, with no throttle. Legal on trails, pathways and streets.

Class 2: Throttle-equipped and capable of moving without pedalling. Legal on pathways and streets, not on trails.

Class 3: Higher-speed e-bikes, commonly capable of motor assistance up to about 45 km/h. Legal on streets, not pathways or trails.

B.C. road law uses different terminology.

A light e-bike is pedal-assist only, limited to 250 watts and 25 km/h, with a minimum rider age of 14.

A legal standard e-bike can have a throttle, but must have functional pedals, no more than 500 watts of continuous motor output and cannot provide motor propulsion beyond 32 km/h. Riders must be at least 16.

So a throttle doesn’t automatically make an e-bike illegal, just not permitted on trails.

But the increasingly popular e-dirt bike can be something very different.

E-Dirt Bikes Aren’t E-Bikes

Many motorcycle-style e-dirt bikes have no functional pedals and considerably more power, acceleration and speed than a legal e-bike.

E-Dirt Bikes don’t meet B.C.’s definition of an e-bike, it can’t simply be treated as a bicycle. They are classified the same as a regular dirt bike.

RCMP detachments around B.C. have been warning about e-dirt bikes being ridden on roads, sidewalks, bike lanes, parks and other public spaces despite not qualifying as legal e-bikes.

That distinction matters in Fernie.

A motorized machine that isn’t legal on the street doesn’t become appropriate or legal simply because it moves onto a pedestrian pathway.

That is particularly important when those pathways are being used by children travelling to school.

What About Electric Scooters?

Electric kick scooters look like ideal active transportation for short trips around Fernie, but they are not treated like bicycles under B.C. law.

B.C. currently allows electric kick scooters through its Electric Kick Scooter Pilot Project. Participating municipalities can determine where scooters may operate, including streets and certain pathways.

Fernie is not a participating community.

That means e-scooters are not authorized under the provincial pilot on Fernie’s municipal streets. The rules are also important for pathways: Fernie’s bylaw prohibits motorized vehicles in City parklands except on designated roads and parking areas.

So riders should not assume an electric scooter is permitted on a Fernie pathway simply because bicycles are allowed there.

The provincial pilot shows how scooters could eventually become part of Fernie’s active-transportation system. Qualifying scooters are limited to 500 watts and 25 km/h, riders must be at least 16, and helmets are mandatory.

For now, the important message—particularly for kids and parents—is simple: being able to buy an electric scooter does not mean it can legally be ridden on Fernie streets or pathways.

Slow Down on Fernie’s Pathways

Regardless of the device, speed is the immediate safety issue.

Fernie’s pathways are shared spaces.

Children can stop suddenly or change direction. Dogs move unpredictably. Pedestrians step sideways. Younger cyclists don’t always hold a straight line.

A fast-moving electric bike or e-dirt bike can close the distance on another pathway user very quickly.

The City already asks cyclists and e-bike riders to slow down when passing, use a bell or call out and keep speeds appropriate for a shared pathway.

A pedestrian pathway isn’t a racetrack.

As school returns, everyone using Fernie’s pathways should expect more children and slow down accordingly.

Helmets Matter

Helmets are mandatory for cyclists and legal e-bike riders on public roads in B.C.

For children and teenagers, helmet use shouldn’t depend on whether the trip is down the street, across town or along a pathway.

Parents should also know what their children are riding: its power, top speed, age requirements and whether it can legally be used where they intend to ride it.

For other pathway users, the message is equally straightforward: give kids space, pass carefully and slow down.

Don’t Forget the Battery

Electric transportation also brings another safety issue into our homes and garages.

Lithium batteries require care when charging.

Fire officials routinely warn against leaving electric batteries charging overnight or unattended. Staying nearby while a battery is charging can help identify overheating or other problems early and reduce the risk of fire.

That advice applies to e-bikes, e-dirt bikes, scooters and other lithium-powered devices.

Electric bikes and scooters can play an important role in Fernie’s active transportation future.

The message isn’t to stop riding them.

Know what you’re riding. Know where it can legally be used. Wear a helmet. Slow down around others — especially kids — and charge lithium batteries safely.

Editor