Undercover: Investigating the dangers of e-bikes and e-scooters | Marketplace

Summary

CBC Marketplace investigates safety risks associated with e-bikes and e-scooters, including serious injuries, inconsistent age rules, and vehicles that can exceed legal road-speed limits.

The report begins with Jaden King, a teenager from Newfoundland and Labrador who suffered a traumatic brain injury after losing control of his e-scooter at a speed bump. He was wearing a helmet, spent 21 days in a coma, and had to relearn basic skills during rehabilitation. His mother, Amy Richards, says the province needs stronger protections for young riders.

An emergency physician says hospitals are seeing severe injuries among children and advises against e-scooter use by anyone under 16. The report says hospitalizations among children under 15 have nearly tripled in a year, and e-bikes and e-scooters were associated with 10 young deaths in 2025.

Sales and speed limits

Marketplace’s undercover visits to 12 stores in the Toronto area found a gap between product marketing and Ontario’s rules. More than half the stores sold e-scooters recommended for children under 16, despite the province’s minimum riding age of 16. Some products were recommended for children as young as eight. Retailers and manufacturers cited in the report say customers should follow local laws, while a doctor warns that lower-speed scooters can still pose risks to children.

The investigation also found that many adult e-bikes and scooters for sale can exceed legal road limits. In Ontario, e-bikes are limited to 32 km/h and e-scooters to 24 km/h. Ten of the 12 stores visited sold electric rides capable of exceeding those limits, and half of those locations explained how to override speed limiters on some models.

One salesperson described a scooter capable of 120 km/h; another offered to modify an e-bike to reach 150 km/h. An industry association representative called such practices dangerous and unethical. Some retailers disputed or qualified what their employees said, while others did not respond.

Enforcement and regulation

In British Columbia, Richmond RCMP officers enforce rules on helmets, sidewalks, and e-scooter use. They sometimes issue warnings and tickets and contact parents when children are riding.

The report also features four-year-old Theo Smith, who was struck by an e-bike rider on a sidewalk outside his daycare and suffered a skull fracture. The rider left the scene and had not been identified nearly a year later.

A transportation lawyer says existing rules mainly govern how people ride. There are no comprehensive federal standards for device speed or power, or corresponding restrictions on importing or selling non-compliant e-bikes.

Transport Minister Steven MacKinnon says safety is a priority and acknowledges the need to consider how these devices should be regulated, but offers no immediate solution. The report concludes that rules vary across the country and have not kept pace with the market, leaving much of the responsibility on riders and families.

Presenters and contributors

• Reporter: Asha Tomlinson
• Featured contributors: Jaden King; Amy Richards; Dr. April Kam; Michael Pasquali; Corporal Frank Bryson; Theo Smith; Melissa Smith (surname not stated in the subtitles); Michael Parish; Steven MacKinnon.