December 1, 2025 - The Office of the Chief Coroner in Ontario is calling for a clearer definition of e-bikes in the province reports CBC.ca. The Coroner’s seven recommendations have merit although their report references five incidents on Ottawa-area roads from back in 2021 involving the death of riders who were using electric motorcycles and electric scooters.
In addition, all of the vehicles had been modified to increase their speed beyond design specifications, three of the riders had suspended licences, and four of the five had drugs in their system when they died.
The Coroner’s report states that, “None of the e-bikes involved in the deaths resembled a pedal driven bicycle” but they were used because the units were sold as e-bikes. In addition, the report notes that, “There was limited information available/accessible regarding e-bike related injuries or deaths within existing datasets in Ontario and Canada.”
Their recommendations emphasize the need for clearer definitions and classifications for e-bikes and cargo bikes, vs motorcycle and scooter type e-vehicles, along with better and more comprehensive accident reporting, perhaps via the MVCR (Motor Vehicle Collision Report), currently used for motor vehicle collisions in Ontario.
The term “e-bikes” commonly refers to power-assisted bicycles, which was the federal definition under the Highway Traffic Act but was repealed by Transport Canada in February 2021, putting the onus back on the provinces.
The old federal definition of “e-bikes” required two or three wheels, operable pedals to propel the bike by muscular power, 32km/h maximum assisted speed, and a maximum power output of 500 watts. Each province also applied additional requirements around age, helmets, where the units can be used etc. The federal definition included bicycles with electric assist as well as “mopeds” or low-speed electric motorcycles, and remains in place until the provinces pass new definitions.
This broad e-bike definition referencing both bicycle-style and motorcycle-style e-bikes adds to the confusion, as noted in the Coroner’s recommendations, “The Ministry of Transportation of Ontario (MTO) should consider a separate classification approach for all low-speed electric motorcycle type and ‘Vespa like’ scooter type vehicles.”
While not part of the Coroner’s report, another key sticking point in Ontario is the 16-year-old minimum age of passengers, meaning cargo bike owners are not allowed to transport their kids which conflicts with most, if not all, other jurisdictions in North America – read more here.
The Coroner’s report is timely as Ontario seems poised to define and regulate e-bikes via Bill 197, The Safer Roads and Communities Act 2024, which followed an earlier attempt back in 2021 via the MOMS Act, Moving Ontarians More Safely.
It’s worth noting that the USA has successfully advanced its e-bike Class 1, 2 and 3 system, with over 30 states adopting the guidelines – read more here.
As overall safety is paramount, it’s also important for Ontario regulators to gather input from other stakeholders such as retailers, manufacturers and distributors to ensure that these industry players can operate efficiently to deliver safe products.
Alongside the safety concerns, e-bikes have clear benefits from reducing pollution to improving mobility noted Dr. Louise McNaughton-Filion, regional supervising coroner for eastern Ontario. “You’ve got people who have heart conditions, lung conditions, knee replacements — they can now … enjoy being active,” she told CBC. “The issue is making sure that people are also safe.”
According to Michael Pasquali from the Canadian Electric Bicycle Association (CEBA), who was part of the expert panel, ”While we did not endorse every conclusion in the report, we appreciate the Office of the Chief Coroner bringing attention to e-bike safety. It’s also important to recognize that improved oversight and enforcement i.e. stiffer penalties can help prevent illegal electric bikes and irresponsible riders, from ending up on Ontario’s roads.”
