Total calls for service – Belleville Police responded to 63 calls for service over a 24-hour period beginning at 5:00 am on October 16, 2024 to 5:00 am on October 17, 2024.
Electric motorcycle driver charged
The owner of an electric motorcycle – not an e-bike – was charged with a number of offences following a traffic stop, Wednesday afternoon.
An officer with the Belleville Police Service Traffic Unit pulled over the driver of the electric motorcycle on Church Street after he was spotted running a red light around 2:30 p.m.
The vehicle was determined to be unsafe to drive.
The 37-year-old Belleville man operating the vehicle was charged with the following offences under the Highway Traffic Act and the Compulsory Automobile Insurance Act:
· Drive Motorcycle no licence;
· Drive vehicle with not licence plates;
· Drive vehicle with no insurance;
· Failing to stop at a red light.
The driver was issued a November 18, 2024 date in Traffic Court to face the charges.
Police would like to remind the public that an e-bike operates under specific regulations, listed below.
If it exceeds the speed or specific criteria for an e-bike, it is considered a motorcycle under the Highway Traffic Act and subject to additional licensing and regulations.
Additional information about e-bikes
A power-assisted bicycle, also called an electric bicycle or e-bike, is a bicycle with an electric motor that has:
· a handlebar for steering
· working pedals
· two or three wheels
· an electric motor
· braking systems
E-bikes must meet certain requirements to be legally operated on roads in Ontario. This includes weight and speed limits.
When riding an e-bike, you must:
· be 16 or older
· wear an approved bicycle or motorcycle helmet
· keep your e-bike in good working order
· follow the same rules of the road as other cyclists
To operate an e-bike in Ontario, the e-bike must have:
· a maximum assisted speed of 32 km/h
· a maximum weight of 120 kg (includes the weight of the bike and battery)
· an electric motor not exceeding 500 watts
· no modifications to the motor to allow it to exceed a power output greater than 500 watts and an assisted speed greater than 32 km/h
· battery and electric motor securely fastened to the bicycle frame to prevent them from moving while the e-bike is operating
· all electrical terminals properly insulated
· minimum wheel width of 35 mm and minimum diameter of 350 mm
· two independent braking systems that applies force to each wheel and is capable of bringing the e-bike, while being operated at a speed of 30 km/h, to a full stop within 9 metres, on a level asphalt surface, from the point at which the brakes were applied
· Removing the pedals makes the e-bike a motor vehicle, which requires a licence, insurance and registration to operate. It is also illegal to modify your e-bike’s electric motor to make it more powerful or to increase the assisted speed of the bike.
For more information, visit: https://www.ontario.ca/page/riding-e-bike#section-2
Author: Pete Fisher
Has been a photojournalist for over 30-years and have been honoured to win numerous awards for photography and writing over the years. Best selling author for the book Highway of Heroes - True Patriot Love
