Ireland could face ‘tsunami’ of incidents involving e-scooters, AA Ireland says

Agency calls for tighter regulation on their use, including compulsory helmets and registration

AA Ireland said: 'These vehicles must be prevented from being altered to operate at higher speeds.' Photograph: Dara Mac Donaill
AA Ireland said: 'These vehicles must be prevented from being altered to operate at higher speeds.' Photograph: Dara Mac Donaill

Ireland faces a potential “tsunami” of incidents involving e-scooters, AA Ireland has said, as it called for tighter regulation on their use.

It comes after footage was shared across social media platforms of an e-scooter user weaving in and out of traffic on Dublin’s M50.

AA Ireland’s head of communications, Paddy Comyn, called upon legislators to ensure helmet use is compulsory and that all e-scooters will have some form of registration to the user, to allow for identification to ensure proper enforcement of rules.

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“Incidents such as the one on the M50 over the past weekend show that more will need to be done to ensure that e-scooter users aren’t allowed to be a danger to themselves or other road users,” he said.

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“These vehicles must be prevented from being altered to operate at higher speeds, helmet use must be compulsory and there should be some form of registration that allows for identification of users to allow for detection and punishment,” Mr Comyn added.

“With the likely arrival of a number of e-scooter rental companies, soon, we could be on the eve of a potential tsunami of incidents relating to e-scooters. We shouldn’t wait for any more high-profile incidents before ensuring we do the right thing, which we can do right now,” he said.

Jade Wilson

Jade Wilson

Jade Wilson is a reporter for The Irish Times