(SOUTHERN BRUCE COUNTY, ON) – The South Bruce Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) is offering the following information as a guide for the safe and appropriate use of a Personal Mobility Device (PMD):
Persons operating motorized wheelchairs or Personal Mobility Devices are treated in the same way as pedestrians.
In general, municipalities establish by-laws for where wheelchairs can or cannot be used. Operators should check with their local municipality to ensure by-laws permit their use on sidewalks.
A sidewalk should be the first choice for someone using a wheelchair or medical scooter. If there is no sidewalk available, people using wheelchairs or personal mobility devices should travel, like pedestrians, along the left shoulder of the roadway facing oncoming traffic.
When riding on a sidewalk, a PMD operator must ride with care to avoid injuring a pedestrian.
Anyone interested in more information on alternative vehicles can check online at: http://www.mto.gov.on.ca/english/dandv/vehicle/emerging/index.shtml#personal.