Those tiny electric cars around Thunder Bay? They’re not road legal. Here’s what that means if you’re in a collision with one.
By Jeffrey J. Moorley | July 2026 | White Macgillivray Lester LLP
If you’ve driven around Thunder Bay this summer, you’ve probably seen one: a small, brightly coloured, enclosed electric vehicle puttering along a city street, looking like something between a golf cart and a very small car. Photos of them make the rounds on local social media, and the comment section always asks the same question — are these things even legal?
Short answer: not here. Not on the road, and not on the sidewalk. But the full answer matters, because whether a vehicle can legally operate—and whether it is properly insured—can dramatically affect the legal and financial consequences of a collision.
We covered bicycles, e-bikes, and e-scooters in an earlier piece. This one covers their bigger cousins: the mini-cars, off-road vehicles, and golf carts of Northwestern Ontario.
What are these mini-cars, exactly?
The small enclosed vehicles appearing on Thunder Bay streets are generally sold as low-speed vehicles (LSVs): electric, four-wheeled vehicles that are smaller and lighter than a regular car, with a top speed of 40 km/h.
LSVs look reassuringly car-like. Many have seatbelts, a steering wheel, pedals, mirrors, and a speedometer. But they are not built to the same crash safety standards as a passenger vehicle — and they are sometimes marketed, misleadingly, as “mobility devices” that need no licence or insurance.
That is not the law. In Ontario, LSVs are governed by a pilot program under the Highway Traffic Act (Ontario Regulation 215/17). For an LSV to be legal on a public road, two things must both be true:
- The vehicle must comply. It must meet the federal low-speed vehicle safety standard and carry the manufacturer’s compliance label. Many imported mini-cars sold online don’t meet this standard at all.
- The municipality must opt in. The local municipality must have passed a by-law expressly permitting LSVs on its roads.
Even where both boxes are checked, the driver needs a full licence—typically a Class G, although another full Class A through F licence also qualifies. A G1 or G2 is not enough. Additionally, the vehicle must be registered, plated, and insured with at least $1 million in third-party liability coverage. LSVs are limited to roads posted at 50 km/h or less, must display a slow-moving vehicle sign, and can’t carry children under eight.
Thunder Bay has not opted in
The City of Thunder Bay has not passed an LSV by-law. That means these vehicles are not legal on any Thunder Bay road or sidewalk. The Thunder Bay Police Service has publicly warned about them and has charged local drivers with failing to register and insure their LSVs. Violations can mean Highway Traffic Act charges, fines, and driving suspensions.
One more wrinkle: the provincial pilot expires on June 29, 2027 unless the Province extends it or makes LSVs permanent. The rules could change — check before you buy.
So where can you drive one?
For a Thunder Bay owner, the honest answer is: private property, and that’s about it. A handful of municipalities — mostly in southern Ontario — have passed LSV by-laws, and there’s no official public list; the Ministry of Transportation tells owners to check with each municipality directly. We’re not aware of any Northwestern Ontario municipality that has opted in.
Wait — isn’t that a mobility scooter?
Not every small electric vehicle is an LSV. Wheelchairs and medical scooters designed for and used by people with limited mobility are treated as pedestrians under the Highway Traffic Act, not as motor vehicles. They do not require a driver’s licence, registration or automobile insurance, but they also can’t be driven down the road like a car. They belong on sidewalks, multi-use trails, or, where no sidewalk exists, on the shoulder facing oncoming traffic — just like a person walking.
If a seller tells you an enclosed, four-wheeled vehicle that does 40 km/h is a “mobility device,” be skeptical. The law looks at what the vehicle is, not what the brochure calls it.
And the distinction cuts the other way too: a genuine mobility scooter puttering down the middle of a traffic lane at 15 km/h isn’t following the rules either. As a pedestrian under the law, it belongs on the sidewalk or the shoulder — not in a live lane of Memorial Avenue.
What about ATVs and side-by-sides?
Northwestern Ontario is ORV country—but the rules for riding on-road can change at every township line. Under the Highway Traffic Act and Ontario Regulation 316/03, whether an ORV may be operated on a municipal road depends on the provincial framework and the applicable municipal by-laws. Where riding is allowed, the vehicle must be registered, plated, and insured; the driver must be at least 16 with a valid licence (a G2 or M2 will do here, unlike an LSV); everyone must wear an approved helmet; and reduced speed limits apply — 20 km/h on roads posted at 50 or less, 50 km/h on faster roads, keeping to the shoulder where one exists.
The City of Thunder Bay does not permit ORVs on its roadways. The rural municipalities around us each set their own rules — what’s legal on one concession road may be an offence one municipality over. Before riding on any road, confirm the by-law for that specific municipality.
Golf carts?
Not here. Golf carts don’t meet the federal safety standards for road vehicles, and Ontario’s separate golf cart pilot (Ontario Regulation 407/21) applies only in five named southern Ontario communities — places like Pelee Island and Huron-Kinloss. No Northwestern Ontario municipality is included. In our region, golf carts belong on the course and on private property.
Why this matters if you’re injured
Here’s the part we see as injury lawyers. When an unregistered, uninsured vehicle is involved in a collision, the consequences go far beyond a ticket:
- If you own or lease an uninsured vehicle and operate it on a public road, Ontario’s Insurance Act may bar you from recovering damages for bodily injury or death—even if another driver caused the collision. Separately, a driver who knew or ought reasonably to have known that the vehicle was uninsured may lose entitlement to several categories of accident benefits.
- If you’re hit by an uninsured vehicle, your compensation may have to come from the uninsured motorist coverage in your own policy, from a family member’s policy, or — as a last resort — from the Motor Vehicle Accident Claims Fund, which provides less protection than a standard auto policy.
In other words: an uninsured mini-car isn’t just illegal. It’s a gap in the safety net for everyone it shares the road with.
One more thing, because we’ve seen the comment sections: an illegal vehicle does not decide fault. Liability in a collision comes down to negligence — who drove carelessly — not to which vehicle was allowed to be there. A driver who tailgates, brake-checks, crowds, or otherwise “teaches a lesson” to a slow-moving vehicle can end up legally responsible for the very collision they caused, no matter how illegal the other vehicle was. If one of these is holding up traffic, the answer is patience and a call to police — not the front of your truck.
A word for families
It’s worth being honest about who is buying these. Some are purchased by seniors who have been told it is no longer safe to drive, or by people whose licences are suspended, in a city where transit—including specialized transit—does not always meet everyone’s mobility needs. The desire for independence is real. But these vehicles don’t restore a lost licence: an LSV is a motor vehicle under the law, and driving one on a public road while suspended or prohibited is still driving while suspended, with all the same consequences. If a parent or grandparent has bought one of these, the kindest thing you can do is have the conversation now — before a charge, or a collision, forces it.
What to do
Get medical attention first. Call 911 if anyone may be seriously injured or needs urgent assistance. Serious injuries aren’t always obvious right away.
Report the collision to police. Whether the other vehicle is a car, an ATV, or a mini-car, a police report creates the official record.
Document everything. Photograph the vehicles, the scene, and any visible injuries. Get the other operator’s name and contact information — and note whether the vehicle has a licence plate.
Notify your own insurance company. This matters even more when the other vehicle may be uninsured, because your own policy may be the source of your benefits.
Talk to an injury lawyer early. Strict time limits apply to injury claims and accident benefit applications, and claims involving unusual or uninsured vehicles are more complicated — not less.
Injured in a collision? Talk to us.
At White Macgillivray Lester LLP, we represent people seriously injured in motor vehicle collisions across Northwestern Ontario — including collisions involving unusual, unregistered, or uninsured vehicles. We can help you access the coverage you have and pursue the claims available to you while you focus on getting better. We work on a contingency-fee basis — there is no cost for an initial consultation, and you do not pay legal fees unless we recover compensation for you.
Call 807-344-1000 or reach out for a free consultation online. Serving clients across Northwestern Ontario — from Sault Ste. Marie to Kenora.
Jeffrey J. Moorley
Partner, White Macgillivray Lester LLP
Aside from his time in Kingston for law school, Jeff has lived his entire life in Northwestern Ontario. He is the Northwest Director of the Ontario Trial Lawyers Association and was named Lakehead University’s Exceptional Alumni for 2024.
This article is provided for general information only and is not legal advice. The rules described here are current as of July 2026 and may change, particularly as provincial pilot programs expire or are amended. Reading this does not create a lawyer-client relationship. If you’ve been injured, speak with a lawyer about your specific circumstances.