Two young riders learned a hard lesson about the rules of the road.
Ontario Provincial Police say that on Saturday, officers pulled over two off-road electric dirtbikes being operated without licence plates while being driven on Grey Road 19 and Sixth Street area, just west of Collingwood.
Both 15-year-olds were charged with failing to have a driver's licence, failing to having a licence plate, failing to have a permit, and failing to have insurance.
Police say the owners of the electric motorcycles may face charges related to permitting the operation of a motor vehicle by an unlicensed person, failing to have a permit and licence plate, and failing to maintain insurance.
"If convicted of any of the above charges, the Ministry of Transportation (MTO) will generate a driver's licence number for the youth operators. Any resulting convictions could become part of their future driving record and will be associated with a driver's licence obtained later in life," police said in a news release.
The OPP is reminding the public that electric-powered motorcycles and dirt bikes are treated the same as their gas-powered counterparts under Ontario law. They are considered motor vehicles and must comply with the requirements of the Highway Traffic Act, Off-Road Vehicles Act, and Compulsory Automobile Insurance Act, including licensing, registration, permit, and insurance requirements, where applicable.
