The Road Safety Authority (RSA), in partnership with Children’s Health Ireland (CHI), has launched a new campaign urging parents and guardians not to buy e-scooters for anyone under 18 and warning of the potentially devastating consequences of underage use.
At the centre of the campaign is a new radio advertisement voiced by Dr Irwin Gill, Consultant Paediatrician at CHI. Drawing on his frontline experience of treating young patients with serious head injuries following e-scooter collisions and falls, Dr Gill delivers 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.”
The campaign coincides with 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. These will include a prohibition on 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.