RCMP urge safe and legal riding practices in the Campbell River area

June 15, 2026 - Campbell River, British Columbia
From: Campbell River RCMP

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The Campbell River RCMP is reminding riders and parents that both gas-powered dirt bikes and high-powered e-dirt bikes are not street legal and that dangerous riding behaviour is becoming an increasing public safety concern throughout the community. 

Recent growth in the popularity of e-dirt bikes, combined with ongoing concerns involving traditional dirt bikes, has led to more off-road vehicles being operated on local streets, sidewalks, Beaver Lodge and Willow Creek Conservancy trails and around neighbourhoods. None of these places are legal to ride dirt bikes or E-dirt bikes. 

“Effectively,” said Cst Maury Tyre, “if you have a dirt bike or an e-dirt bike and you live in a residential area, the only ways to get that bike to a legal riding area are to push it or truck/trailer it to the trails. What we are seeing right now are a lot of riders ignoring the law and additionally are behaving in exceptionally dangerous fashions on the roadways and pedestrian trails, to the point where there have been multiple near misses with vehicle and pedestrians, and significant damages to community property such as sports fields.”

Riders and parents may mistakenly believe e-dirt bikes fall under the same rules as e-bikes, but in reality, both gas and electric dirt bikes are treated almost the same as vehicles under the BC Motor Vehicle Act.

While street-legal e-bikes are limited to 32 km/h, restricted to 500 watts of power, and equipped with functional pedals, dirt bikes and e-dirt bikes are designed for off-road use and cannot legally operate on public roads unless they meet licensing, registration, and insurance requirements.

Complaints to police involving dangerous off-road vehicle use — including e-bikes, e-dirt bikes, dirt bikes, e-scooters, mopeds, and mini-motorcycles continue to be an ongoing concern in Campbell River and the calls numbers regarding their illegal usage are growing. The bulk of these complaints involve young riders.   

When enforcement takes place, riders operating dirt bikes or e-dirt bikes illegally on roadways may face significant penalties under the BC Motor Vehicle Act, including:

• No insurance — $598

• No driver’s licence — $276 and three penalty points 

• No helmet — $138 and two penalty points 

• Driving without due care — $368 and six penalty points 

• Driving without consideration — $196 and six penalty points 

• Seven-day vehicle impoundment 

• Stunting-related offences which can include criminal charges

Some of the violation tickets may be issued to either the rider or the registered owner and those issued to unlicensed youth can impact future licensing with ICBC. In some cases, based on the age of the rider, tickets can be issued to parents.

As police enforce these laws, they are often met with resistance by the riders fleeing from police which places the riders and the public in grave safety risk and increases legal liability to the criminal level for the riders. In addition, there appear to be adults and parents in the community who would excuse the behaviour by exclaiming, “it’s just kids being kids.” 

“Police are not blind to the fact that young people will push boundaries, but it is also the job of adults to hold them accountable.” explained Cst Tyre. “Just being kids, is not putting other people’s lives at risk or damaging public property and it does take effort from the community, police and parents to ensure the young people using these vehicles ride in a safe, responsible and legal manner.”

Education and targeted enforcement efforts will continue as the Campbell River RCMP work to reduce the risk for users of our walking trails, bike lanes and roadways.

Police are asking the public if they see illegal use of these E-dirt bikes, dirt bikes or mini bikes, to contact the Campbell River RCMP at 250-286-6221.