THE ROAD SAFETY Authority (RSA) and Children’s Health Ireland (CHI) have urged parents not to buy e-scooters for their children this Christmas.

It is illegal for children under the age of 16 to ride an e-scooter on a public road.

Since this legislation was introduced in May last year, hospitals have seen an increase in serious injuries among young riders.

E-scooters are now the leading cause of traumatic brain injury in children admitted to CHI at Temple Street, the country’s national neurosurgical centre.

More than 25% of paediatric neurosurgical admissions to Temple Street in the last year have been e-scooter-related brain injuries.

Around half of these children required intensive care and almost half underwent emergency neurosurgery, with some left with permanent disabilities.

The RSA and CHI have launched a radio advert campaign aimed at highlighted the dangers of children using e-scooters.

On the ad, consultant paediatrician at CHI Dr Irwin Gill shares his experience of treating young patients with severe head injuries caused by e-scooter collisions and falls.

“I work with many teams across our hospitals to look after children who have suffered traumatic brain injuries,” said Dr Gill.

“In the last year alone, we’ve seen more than 20 children who sustained serious brain injuries after falling from e-scooters. The average hospital stay for these children was 19 days, and some face lifelong consequences.”

Dr Gill said that many parents don’t realise it’s illegal for anyone under 16 to ride an e-scooter on a public road.

As someone who sees injured children far too often, I’m asking parents: please do not allow any child under sixteen to ride an e-scooter.

Speaking in August, Gill told RTÉ’s Today with Claire Byrne that staff in Temple Street were “beginning to lose track” of the number of children injured due to e-scooters.

Research carried out by the RSA has found that there is a growing public concern around the safety of e-scooters in Ireland.

One in three regular users admit to riding on footpaths – where use is prohibited – and more than one in ten report carrying child passengers, while almost one in ten carry adult passengers.

Nearly one in four regular e-scooter riders (24%) say they have been involved in a collision while one in three (32%) have experienced a near miss.

RSA CEO Sam Waide said the findings are “deeply concerning”.

“E-scooters are not toys – they are powerful motorised vehicles, and the risks for children are severe,” he said.

“Our message is simple: if your child is under sixteen, an e-scooter is not a suitable or legal gift. This campaign is about protecting children from preventable harm and ensuring every parent understands the potential consequences.”