Segways and Other Personal Transporters Fact Sheet


Personal transporters

  • are self-balancing electric vehicles with two side-by-side wheels
  • are designed for the personal transportation of a single person
  • must be equipped with a bell or horn
  • must have a light

Personal transporter users must

  • wear a helmet
  • stand when in motion
  • ride in single file
  • not tow another person or device

  • No license to operate a personal transporter is required
  • You must be 16 years of age to operate, or 14 if on a tour with parental consent.
  • Personal transporters will be permitted to be used on sidewalks at a speed no greater than 7 km/hour. They must yield to pedestrians.
  • If no sidewalk is available, and a bicycle lane is available, personal transporter users will be permitted in bicycle lanes at a speed no greater than 20 km/hour and are treated as a cyclist.
  • If no sidewalk and no bicycle lane are available, personal transporter users may travel on highways and roads with speed limits no greater than 60 km/hour. They must travel to the right of the roadway and follow the same requirements as a bicycle/cyclist.
  • Municipalities may prohibit use of personal transporters on municipal sidewalks and roadways.
  • Personal transporters are not required to be insured. The Insurance Bureau of Canada indicates that at this time, personal transporters for individual use are not covered by homeowner’s or tenant’s insurance. An individual would have to talk to their insurer to determine options for liability coverage.