New regulations requiring e-scooter users to wear helmets and high-visibility clothing have come into effect from today.

Here is everything you need to know:

From today, e-scooter users have to wear helmets and high-visibility clothing.

Yes. Under laws introduced in May 2024, users must be aged 16 or older. The device itself is subject to a speed limit of 20kmh on public roads and is mandated to drive on the left-hand-side of the road. They are permitted to drive in cycle or bus lanes where they are provided.

The devices are limited to one occupant at any time – no passengers – and protective equipment is simply advised rather than obliged. No system of insurance or registration is currently in place for e-scooters.

Minister for Transport Darragh O’Brien said this week that a ban on the use of e-scooters by under 18s could now be introduced by the end of this month or early next month, after he received permission from Europe to proceed with the plans.

Minister O’Brien said he is now aiming to increase the minimum age for e-scooter use from 16 to 18 by late September or early October.

A report by Children’s Health Ireland (CHI) over the summer revealed that e-scooters were the leading cause of traumatic brain injury in hospitals, citing a 50pc rise in admissions for such injuries in the 12 months prior.

It suggested ineffectiveness of the 2024 regulations, revealing that beforehand, only one child had been admitted to hospital with a brain injury resulting from an e-scooter crash.

Tánaiste Simon Harris stated that there “should be no parent in Ireland thinking an e-scooter is a toy,” adding that it is his “firm view” that insurance is required.

Junior transport minister Seán Canney said the scooters are “not toys” and urged parents to exercise sound judgment.

“Some parents think ‘Oh, this is a lovely thing to give to my child’, which is actually a machine that can cause serious damage as well as outright fatalities,” he told the Irish Independent.

Several retailers have removed e-scooters from sale on their websites recently including Currys, Harvey Norman and Amazon Ireland.

A version of this article was originally published on Monday, August 24 2026