COBOURG, Ont. - A local man convicted of previous impaired driving charges was pulled over and charged with impaired driving Saturday.

Constable Mike Richardson made the arrest after noticing the man riding the e-bike without pedals.

"An e-bike with no pedals now becomes a vehicle under the Highway Traffic Act (because it cannot be controlled by muscular power)."

Because of that, the operator must have the proper license plates, license and insurance, among other safety equipment while operating the vehicle.

After Richardson checked the man's license status, he found out the man was a disqualified driver under the Criminal Code for previous impaired driving convictions.

"As a result of that information, I arrested him because he was driving a motor vehicle because the pedals on the e-bike were removed."

While Richardson was escorting the driver to the police cruiser, he smelled the odour of alcohol. The operator was given a roadside breath test and failed.

At the police station the man submitted two more breath samples, police said, "both registering well over the legal limit."

Richardson said for anybody who would like to find out the rules and regulations of operating an electric bike, it isn't hard.

"Just do what I do. Google E-bikes on the World Wide Web and it will take you to the Ministry of Transport site and there is excellent information on that site that will tell you all about e-bikes and the laws."