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Ireland Weighs Mandatory Helmets and Hi-Vis for E-Scooter Riders

The safety review follows a rise in serious injuries, including three deaths linked to e-scooters.

Overview

  • Taoiseach Micheál Martin and road safety minister Seán Canney plan to meet Transport Minister Darragh O'Brien to discuss tightening rules.
  • Options under consideration include compulsory helmets and high-visibility clothing, plus tougher enforcement of the 20 km/h limit and the under‑16 ban.
  • Officials signal they are unlikely to pursue registration or rider licensing despite calls from some politicians.
  • Ireland’s Royal College of Physicians reports e-scooter crashes are now the leading cause of traumatic brain injuries in children admitted to the national paediatric neurosurgical centre.
  • Ministers highlight an enforcement gap as private e-scooters are widely sold with advertised top speeds far above the legal limit.