RSA and CHI warn parents: Do not buy e-scooters for children

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.”

Dr Irwin Gill, Consultant Paediatrician at Children’s Health Ireland, and Nuala Carey, Director of Partnerships and External Affairs at the RSA pictured at Temple Street Hospital, Dublin.

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.