FOUR PEOPLE HAVE died and 59 others have been seriously injured in road collisions involving scrambler bikes since the beginning of 2021, according to figures being presented to an Oireachtas committee today.

The Road Safety Authority (RSA) said two of those killed and 15 of those seriously injured were not riding scramblers. They included pedestrians, cyclists, drivers and passengers.

Of the 46 scrambler users who were killed or seriously injured between January 2021 and June of this year, all were male. Three-quarters of the scrambler drivers were aged 25 or younger.

Three-quarters of fatal and serious scrambler collisions occurred in Dublin, with 6% recorded in both Cork and Limerick.

The figures will be presented to the Oireachtas Justice Committee during a hearing on scrambler bikes and public safety.

Among those addressing the committee are Siobhán and Martin Lynch, whose 16-year-old daughter Grace died after she was struck by a scrambler in Dublin earlier this year.

In their opening statement, the couple said the misuse of petrol and electric scramblers, e-scooters and e-bikes had been “a scourge to this country for years” and warned that the problem was worsening.

“The problem is getting worse due to the lack of regulations implemented by the government,” the parents will tell the committee.

They will call for a dedicated off-road garda unit, improved equipment and training for officers, and greater legal protection for gardaí involved in pursuing people who refuse to stop.

“The onus of responsibility should be on the person who fails to stop or flees, not the other way around,” they said.

They also called for tighter controls on the sale and advertising of the vehicles and highlighted the number of children being treated in hospital following e-scooter incidents.

Enforcement ‘alone’ not enough

Garda Commissioner Justin Kelly will tell the committee that the illegal use of scramblers presents a “significant public safety, community safety and road safety issue”.

He is expected to welcome the introduction of Grace’s Law, which made the use of off-road motorcycles in public places illegal, but caution that enforcement alone will not solve the problem.

“The most effective response must combine prevention, education, community engagement and enforcement,” his opening statement says.

Gardaí currently use high-visibility patrols, checkpoints, searches, vehicle seizures and intelligence-led operations to tackle illegal scrambler use.

Operation Méacan, which operates in the Dublin region, also targets scramblers, electric motorcycles, e-scooters, mopeds and quads linked to dangerous or antisocial behaviour.

The RSA said it is preparing a new social media campaign explaining Grace’s Law and will include information about the legislation in road-safety programmes aimed at young people.

It also called for “rigorous and targeted enforcement” in areas where scrambler use is widespread, including the confiscation of vehicles to deter repeat offending.