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RCPI calls for action on brain injury in children due to e-scooter use
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RCPI calls for action on brain injury in children due to e-scooter use

The Faculty of Paediatrics at the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland (RCPI) – the national professional body for paediatricians in Ireland – has published a new position paper, ‘E-scooter Falls and Brain Injuries in Children: Call for Action in Ireland’.

The position paper reveals that e-scooter accidents are now the leading cause of traumatic brain injuries (TBI) in children admitted to the paediatric neurosurgical centre at Children’s Health Ireland, Temple Street. This is despite the fact it is illegal for children under 16 to use e-scooters on public roads.

  • Almost half of children admitted with TBI required neurosurgical interventions and ICU admission.
  • Forty percent of neurosurgical and ICU admissions had new issues with movement, 80% had new difficulties with cognition noted during their inpatient admissions.
  • The mean length of stay for patients admitted to CHI at Temple Street was 18.7 days – nearly identical to the length of stay from being struck by a moving car, and five times longer than the length of stay from falling from a bike.
  • Many injuries were sustained at high speeds above the legal speed limit 20km/h.
  • Most children severely injured were not wearing helmets.
  • Most families reported being unaware of the legal age limit of 16 years.
  • In addition to admissions to CHI at Temple Street, e-scooter-related injuries across all CHI Emergency Departments have increased fourfold since 2021.

Recommendations

E-scooters became legal on Irish roads in May 2024 for those aged 16 and over. Between May 2024-2025, E-scooter-related presentations at CHI Emergency Departments doubled and have continued to increase since, suggesting that children are at higher risk of injury now than they were prior to the publication of legislation. Current provisions are not keeping children safe.

  • RCPI Faculty of Paediatrics calls on appropriate state bodies to engage in meaningful public awareness efforts to ensure families are aware e-scooters must not be operated on public roads by anyone under the age of 16.
  • The faculty calls on relevant authorities to explore how to better and more vigorously enforce existing legislation regarding e-scooter-use.
  • The faculty calls on the Irish government and relevant authorities to meaningfully explore options in relation to keeping children in Ireland safe from e-scooters, including reviewing existing legislation.

Dr Irwin Gill, Fellow of the Faculty of Paediatrics and author of the paper, said: “We are seeing an unprecedented rise in brain injuries caused by e-scooters. If we don’t act now, this trend will continue with devastating results for children and their families across Ireland.”

RCPI Faculty of Paediatrics Dean Dr Judith Meehan added: “We’re urging parents not to buy e-scooters for their children this Christmas. Children under 16 are not permitted to operate or be carried as a passenger on e-scooters. Our hope is that this paper will raise awareness of the rules around e-scooter use and the dangers for children and young people who use them.”

View the full paper