'Clear and concerning' rise in injuries to children from e-scooters despite ban, study finds

Seán McCárthaigh

Injuries among children from e-scooters which require treatment in hospital have been increasing in Ireland despite a ban on their use by under-16s, according to the findings of a new study.

Research by doctors working at Children’s Health Ireland at Temple Street in Dublin found there has been “a clear and concerning rise” in e-scooter-related injuries among paediatric patients at the hospital since the introduction of legislation governing their use in May 2024.

The study, which examined 98 cases of children who sustained e-scooter-related injuries and required orthopaedic consultation at CHI at Temple Street between January 2020 and August 2025, said its findings mirrored data on similar injuries involving adults.

It claimed its findings suggested that regulation of e-scooters without enforcement “may have limited impact on paediatric safety.”

The study revealed that there were 37 children who suffered an e-scooter-related injury in the first eight months of 2025 compared to 12 for all of 2024.

It found there was also a 27 per cent increase in the number of injuries per patient since the legislation was introduced.

The average age of patients was 12 years old, while the youngest victim was just three years old, who was being carried as a passenger on an e-scooter.

Boys accounted for approximately three-quarters of all cases.

Almost 60 per cent of cases required surgery with an average length of stay in hospital of 2.6 days, with one child needing to remain in hospital for 10 weeks.

Five patients required admission to the hospital’s intensive care unit with traumatic brain injuries, with four requiring emergency neurosurgery.

Of those, three had to be transferred to another hospital, including one via air ambulance.

The analysis found 23 children had sustained either a head strike or a loss of consciousness, with 16 diagnosed with head injuries, including skull fractures, haemorrhages and lacerations.

Two patients were recorded as being under the influence of cannabis, while one was texting while riding.

One of the study’s authors, Dr Finian Doyle from CHI at Temple Street’s Department of Trauma and Orthopaedics, said it was concerning that all patients in the study fell outside the legal age requirement for using e-scooters, which he claimed highlighted “widespread non-compliance.”

The study found evidence of further breaches as some cases involved carrying passengers and travelling at speeds in excess of the permitted 20 km/h limit.

It revealed that 88% of patients were travelling above the legal limit with the fastest reported speed by an injured patient of 64 km/h.

Researchers said helmet compliance was extremely low with only three of the patients confirmed to be wearing a helmet at the time of the collision.

No head injuries were reported among patients who had been wearing helmets.

The research found 46 per cent of patients suffered an injury to an upper limb, with 31 per cent sustaining an injury to a lower limb.

Injuries to the head and neck occurred in 16.5% of cases. Chest injuries were recorded in four per cent of cases and spinal injuries in 2%.

The study, which is published in the Irish Journal of Medical Science, said the growing burden of e-scooter-related injuries aligned with international findings and underscored their potential for having a significant impact on healthcare services as their use became more widespread.

It also observed that the regulation of e-scooters may have unintentionally increased uptake in their use as their previous illegality on public roads may have deterred some users.

Dr Doyle said the research was carried out as data on paediatric injuries from the use of e-scooters was sparse, even though doctors across various specialities, including neurosurgery and emergency medicine, had reported an anecdotal rise in such injuries.

The study noted that a survey by the Road Safety Authority last year found 24% of e-scooter users had been involved in a collision with a further 32% reporting a near miss.

The study said there had already been three child fatalities since legislation governing the use of e-scooters was introduced two years ago with multiple cases of severe or life-changing injuries.

It also observed that the Injuries Resolution Board had reported that road traffic incidents involving e-scooters and cyclists accounted for over €9 million in compensation claims in 2023, with 13 per cent of cases involving victims aged under 18.

Dr Doyle acknowledged that the research provided only a local snapshot of paediatric trauma from use of e-scooters.

He remarked that the true number of e-scooters in circulation is unknown, which makes national injury rates impossible to determine with accuracy.

The study recommended targeted public information campaigns and consistent enforcement of existing regulations as “essential to reduce preventable harm.”

“Without such measures, the burden of paediatric e-scooter trauma is likely to continue to rise,” it added.