Zipping through the streets on an e-bike or an e-scooter has become the norm in the Okanagan and Kamloops, but it’s a crime to ride an electric skateboard of any variety on the road in B.C.

A Onewheel is a type of electric skateboard that isn’t street legal in B.C., but the folks who ride them are out-and-about to have some fun with a dash of civil disobedience.

Andrew Harks is an avid Onewheel rider who runs a Facebook group to connect the small community. He commutes to work regularly on his Onewheel and said that the enforcement of the law is pretty inconsistent.

“As far as I'm aware, there are a few select officers that see this as an issue that they really take an interest in. Whereas most of the time when I'm riding and I do see other RCMP vehicles or officers around, they don't take notice,” he said.

People have posted about getting tickets for riding their electric boards without insurance, even though it’s impossible to get insurance for a Onewheel in B.C.

A judge recently ruled in favour of a B.C. man who appealed a $568 fine he received for riding a Onewheel without insurance. Tickets for no insurance are the most widely used violation cited when electric skateboard riders get a ticket in B.C.

The City of Kelowna said that provincial regulations trump city bylaws, but riders can get a bylaw ticket for $35 on top of any fine from a police officer. 

Harks said it's a bit of a grey area. He was stopped by an officer once, but didn’t receive a ticket and it hasn’t stopped him from riding his board.

“I was waiting at an intersection to cross the road. And then he pulled up behind me and told me that, you know, they're not legal on the road. I wouldn't be able to ride it and I'd have to carry it to where I was going,” he said. “It's been a bit of a deterrent, you know, I still kind of have to keep doing my own thing if I still want to keep riding.”

The Ministry of Transportation said it’s the rider’s responsibility to make sure whatever they're riding, whether it’s an e-bike, e-scooter or electric skateboard, is road legal.

“Since only motorized devices authorized by the legislation may be driven on B.C. roads, people must know what’s legal before choosing to buy or use a device. Even if a device is available for purchase, a person is responsible for ensuring that it is legal for use,” the ministry said in an emailed statement.

Several cities in B.C. have an e-scooter pilot program — including Kelowna, Vernon, Kamloops and Penticton — where people are allowed to ride electric kick scooters.

Onewheels and other similar electric mobility devices are not part of the pilot program and are illegal to ride on the street. The ministry said that since the Motor Vehicle Act doesn’t apply to private land or parks, and if a city allows for it, Onewheels can be ridden on trails.

Harks said it’s the rider’s job to make sure they are riding responsibly, even if they’re riding illegally.

“It's really about keeping that in mind as the rider to be respectful to your community, to be responsible for yourself, your devices, your surroundings, just like if you're driving a car,” he said. “I think using discretion is a wise tool. There are people who are riding irresponsibly ... They probably should have a talking to at the very least. And that's across Onewheels, e-scooters, e-skates, e-bikes, you know, kind of the whole cohort.”

Onewheels typically have a top speed of 30 km/h, which is pretty close to a Lime e-scooter’s top speed of 25km/h. The legal situation is the same for Onewheels as it is for electric unicycles, the ones where the rider stands facing forward with the single wheel between their feet, although some electric unicycles can go 70 km/h or faster.

Police officers enforce dangerous riding on e-scooters, e-bikes and Onewheels on a case-by-case basis, Harks said, so some people will ride safely and others will use the vehicles more dangerously.

“I get the impression that enforcing the law for the Onewheel is pretty similar to the way the cops deal with dangerous riding on scooters, whether it's two people riding one or speeding or whatever, where it's up to the officer in that situation,” he said.

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