Peterborough Police Service – Driver Charged Under HTA with Low Speed Vehicle

Pete Fisher
1 month ago
• Categories: Police Blotter

Low Speed Vehicles

Officers with the Peterborough Police Service Traffic Management Unit are reminding residents about the rules around low-speed vehicles (LSV) after a traffic stop Monday.

At approximately 11:30am on June 9, 2025, officers stopped a low-speed vehicle in the Barnardo Avenue and O’Carroll Avenue area.

The driver was charged under the Highway Traffic Act Regulation with:

• Drive LSV not in accordance with the regulation
• Owner operate a LSV on a highway with no insurance

Low-speed vehicles are defined as:

• designed for use primarily on streets and roads where access and the use of other prescribed classes of vehicles are controlled by law or agreement,
• travels on four wheels,
• powered by an electric power train (an electric motor and, if present, a transmission) that is designed to allow the vehicle to attain a speed of 32 km/h but not more than 40 km/h in a distance of 1.6 km on a paved level surface,
• not using fuel as an on-board source of energy, and
• having a GVWR of less than 1 361 kg;

The Traffic Management Unit has learned in some cases these vehicles are being called “enclosed mobility devices” which is not correct.  As they are considered low-speed vehicles they can only be operated on municipal roadways if the municipality has a by-law allowing for such activity.  In Peterborough, such a by-law does not exist, therefore anyone using them on roadways will be stopped and could face charges under the Highway Traffic Act Regulations.

If you have a traffic complaint or concern you can reach out to the Traffic Management Unit at www.peterboroughpolice.com/online-reporting and fill out the Driving Complaint Report.  If it is an emergency call 9-1-1.