The Highway Traffic Amendment and Drivers and Vehicles Amendment Act
Chamber
manitoba
Stage
Introduced
This Manitoba bill updates traffic rules for electric scooters, three-wheeled vehicles, and self-driving car testing.
Key Changes
- Creates a new legal category called 'personal electric vehicle' covering e-scooters, electric skateboards, hoverboards, and unicycles (up to 500W motor, max 32 km/h, under 45 kg)
- Sets a minimum age of 16 to operate most personal electric vehicles, and 14 for power-assisted bicycles
- Requires helmets for all operators and passengers of personal electric vehicles and power-assisted bicycles (with exceptions for private residential and agricultural property)
- Bans personal electric vehicles (except power-assisted bicycles) from roads with speed limits above 50 km/h, and prohibits them from carrying passengers or towing anything
- Creates a new legal category for 'three-wheeled vehicles' with rules including mandatory helmets, no towing, and no child-seat-required passengers
- Clarifies that automated (self-driving) vehicle systems at Level 3, 4, or 5 can only be used on Manitoba roads under a permit or approved pilot project
Gotchas
- The bill does not come into force automatically — it only takes effect on a date set by government proclamation, meaning the rules could be delayed indefinitely after passing.
- Personal electric vehicles are allowed on sidewalks only if a traffic authority (like a city council) specifically permits it by bylaw — there is no province-wide sidewalk access by default.
- The helmet requirement has a private property exception: helmets are not required on privately owned residential or agricultural land with the owner's permission, which may create confusion about where rules apply.
- Three-wheeled vehicles cannot carry passengers who would normally require a child car seat in a regular vehicle — this is a safety restriction that owners may not be aware of.
- The speed limit for personal electric vehicles on roads and bike paths is capped at 25 km/h, even though the vehicles themselves may be capable of up to 32 km/h — operators could unknowingly violate this.
- Overweight or oversized vehicles can now be registered even if they don't meet standard road requirements, but they still need a special permit before actually driving on a highway — registration alone does not grant road access.
Who's Affected
- People who own or use electric scooters, hoverboards, electric skateboards, or similar devices
- Young people under 16 who currently use personal electric vehicles
- Owners and operators of three-wheeled vehicles (e.g., certain enclosed or open three-wheel cars)
- Companies or researchers testing automated (self-driving) vehicle technology in Manitoba
- Municipalities, which can authorize e-scooter parking on sidewalks by passing a bylaw
- Manitoba Public Insurance (MPI) and vehicle registrants affected by updated registration rules
Vibes
0 responses
Gotchas
- The bill does not come into force automatically — it only takes effect on a date set by government proclamation, meaning the rules could be delayed indefinitely after passing.
- Personal electric vehicles are allowed on sidewalks only if a traffic authority (like a city council) specifically permits it by bylaw — there is no province-wide sidewalk access by default.
- The helmet requirement has a private property exception: helmets are not required on privately owned residential or agricultural land with the owner's permission, which may create confusion about where rules apply.
- Three-wheeled vehicles cannot carry passengers who would normally require a child car seat in a regular vehicle — this is a safety restriction that owners may not be aware of.
- The speed limit for personal electric vehicles on roads and bike paths is capped at 25 km/h, even though the vehicles themselves may be capable of up to 32 km/h — operators could unknowingly violate this.
- Overweight or oversized vehicles can now be registered even if they don't meet standard road requirements, but they still need a special permit before actually driving on a highway — registration alone does not grant road access.
Summary
This bill changes Manitoba's Highway Traffic Act and related laws to create new rules for personal electric vehicles (like electric kick-scooters, skateboards, hoverboards, and unicycles), three-wheeled vehicles, and automated (self-driving) vehicles. It sets age limits, speed limits, helmet requirements, and road restrictions for electric scooters and similar devices. It also clarifies that self-driving technology can only be used on Manitoba roads if the driver has a special permit or is part of an approved pilot project. The bill affects everyday Manitobans who use or own electric scooters and similar devices, people who drive or own three-wheeled vehicles, and companies testing self-driving technology. It also makes technical updates to vehicle registration rules, requiring all vehicles — even those with special oversized or overweight permits — to still be properly registered and plated. The bill was introduced to modernize Manitoba's traffic laws to keep up with newer types of vehicles that weren't clearly covered under the old rules, and to improve safety on roads and pathways.
Automatically generated from bill text using Claude
Vibes
0 responses