E-scooter accidents are the number one reason for paediatric head injuries in Ireland a recent CHI report indicated
While the government just introduced new safety regulations for e-scooter use, talk has already turned to the new age restrictions being proposed.
The new rules brought in on Friday sees e-scooter users be required to wear helmets and hi-vis jackets when operating the vehicles.
While they can usually take a number of weeks or months to come into effect, changing the age limit from 16 to 18 could be brought in as early as the end of September.
Speaking on The Hard Shoulder, Minister for Transport Dara O'Brien explained what they're doing and why.
He said: "I received news [late on Thursday] night that we had sought an urgent adoption procedure from the European Union in relation to the age change. This is from 16 to 18.
"So we're going to be able to do that [update] much sooner. Originally, that process can take up to three months. So I expect in the coming few weeks, hopefully by the end of September, that that age change will be made.
However, there is also a small number of people who use them inappropriately, with the Minister indicating that a lot of those people are in fact young boys.
With this new regulation, nobody under the age of 18 will be able to use the e-scooters and those who break the law will have "the full weight of the law brought down upon them".
According to a recent CHI report, e-scooter accidents have become the leading cause of traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) in children admitted to neurosurgery and rehabilitation services.
Between January 2021 and August 2025, CHI emergency departments recorded 1,130 attendances for e-scooter-related injuries, and TBI admissions for children and young people increased by 50% over a 12-month period leading up to mid-2026.
Main image: Pre teen kids on e-scooters wearing helmets, Picture by: Alamy Stock Photo
