Parents warned not to buy e-scooters for kids under 18 due to ‘significant increase’ in accidents

The Road Safety Authority (RSA) has recently launched a new campaign in partnership with Children’s Health Ireland (CHI), urging parents and guardians not to buy e-scooters for anyone under 18.

They are warning of the potentially devastating consequences of underage use, with one doctor describing the ‘traumatic’ injuries they can cause.

Dr Irwin Gill, a Consultant Paediatrician at CHI, spoke about his frontline experience of treating young patients with serious head injuries following e-scooter collisions and falls, and issued a direct warning to families.

Dr Gill said: “In my line of work, I look after children who’ve suffered traumatic brain injuries. In the last year, I’ve seen more than 20 children who sustained a serious brain injury after an incident while riding an e-scooter.

“The average hospital stay for these children was 19 days. These are serious injuries, some with lifelong consequences. 

“As someone who sees injured children all too regularly, I implore you: if you’re thinking of buying an e-scooter for someone under 18, don’t. 

“The damage they can do is not worth the risk.”

This comes on the back of the introduction of new regulations designed to strengthen e-scooter safety. 

The minimum legal age for e-scooter use is now 18, and helmets and high-visibility clothing are mandatory for all riders.

Further legislation will introduce licensing and registration requirements, alongside tighter controls on sales. This will include strict rules around sales to minors and restrictions on non-compliant e-scooters.

Nuala Carey, Director of Partnerships and External Affairs at the RSA, said: “The evidence from frontline clinicians is stark: e-scooter collisions can leave children with serious injuries and lifelong consequences. 

“The law is clear that no one under 18 should use an e-scooter, and our message to parents and guardians is equally clear: do not buy one for a child. 

“No gift is worth putting their safety at risk.”

The campaign also builds on findings from the RSA’s E-Scooter Usage & Attitudes National Survey 2025, published last year, which identified a significant increase in collisions and falls involving e-scooter users.

According to the survey, motorised vehicles were involved in two-thirds of reported incidents, and more than half of those who crashed or fell required hospital treatment.