File photo of a scrambler bike Steve Glover Steve Glover

62 PEOPLE WERE injured last year in accidents involving off-road vehicles like scrambler bikes.

The new figures, released by the HSE to independent Dublin TD Tommy Broughan in response to a parliamentary question, come at a time when such vehicles are firmly under the microscope. 

Earlier this month, Armenian man Ilabek Avetian suffered devastating injuries after being struck by a scrambler while sunbathing with his wife in a park in Darndale on the city’s northside.

Avetian lost an eye and suffered brain injuries as a result of the crash, with the public coming together to raise €30,000 for him and his wife once his story came to light.

The figure of 62 for 2017 is actually less than the 71 people injured in 2016 by scramblers and quad bikes, but a deal greater than the 56 people hurt in 2015.

“Last week I called on the gardaí and local authorities to take action against those misusing scramblers, quads and off-road vehicles,” Broughan said today.

Today we know that an average of 63 people have been injured each year over the past three years. This is not an insignificant number,” he said.

It would have been useful to have further information on these injuries and people injured but for it to be to an extent where one is admitted to an acute hospital then it is serious enough.

The TD had asked for breakdown by age of those injured and county of residence but was told such a breakdown was not possible.

“As the mornings and evenings become darker action must be urgently taken,” Broughan added.