A new study has shown that cases involving alcohol and drugs in patients injured in e-scooter falls and crashes have doubled, while helmet usage has declined since the legalisation of e-scooter use on public roads last year, reports RTE.
Medical professionals at St James’s Hospital reported no significant drop in the number or severity of injuries, nor an increase in safety practices like helmet use or avoidance of intoxicants, following legislative changes in May 2024 that permitted e-scooters on public roads.
Instead, injuries linked to e-scooter use continue to rise, largely driven by increased popularity of the vehicles, though a reduction has been seen among users under the age of 16, reports RTE.
The National Maxillofacial Unit at St James’s Hospital found that 36% of patients injured in e-scooter incidents had used alcohol or drugs since the law passed—double the 18% rate recorded beforehand.
Following these results, the researchers have called for compulsory safety education or training to be required before individuals are allowed to use e-scooters, reports RTE.
The study reviewed patients presenting with facial injuries caused by e-scooters during two ten-month spans—one before and one after the introduction of legislation that recognised e-scooters as “personal powered transporters”.
Under the new law, riders must be over 16 and adhere to a speed limit of 20km/h, but wearing helmets remains optional, reports RTE.
The Irish Journal of Medical Science, which published the findings, noted that e-scooter-related facial injuries at St James’s Hospital rose from 1.7% to 2.5% of total trauma cases following legalisation.
Hospital admissions linked to such injuries also climbed, from 31% to 36%, alongside an increase in surgical interventions, reports RTE.
Helmet usage among patients dropped from 23% before the law was introduced to just 18% after.
Before the legislation, most injuries occurred between 4pm and 7pm, reports RTE.
But since the legal change, over half of incidents have happened between 7pm and 6am, and more than half of these involved alcohol consumption.
The study noted that the lowest number of injuries took place during the 6am-9am commuter window, reports RTE.
“Alcohol use and poor helmet compliance in the later hours of injury incidence was a prevalent finding in both cohorts,” the study noted, reports RTE.
Researchers emphasised the importance of targeting safety campaigns at high-risk time periods.
“Infrastructure improvements, such as enhanced street lighting, and targeted public awareness campaigns focused on evening and night-time riders may offer substantial benefits in reducing both the frequency and severity of e-scooter-related injuries,” they added, reports RTE.
Data showed 22 individuals sustained 26 facial injuries between May 2023 and February 2024, while 28 people suffered 36 such injuries between May 2024 and February 2025.
Many patients also had trauma to other areas of the body.
Most of those injured were e-scooter drivers, with only three of the 50 recorded cases involving pedestrians, reports RTE.
The study also found that the percentage of injured patients who were male increased from 59% to 71%.
Non-Irish nationals represented nearly half of the injured group, with their proportion growing from 41% to 46% across the two time periods, reports RTE.
A notable increase in injuries among residents of Dublin was also recorded, with their share rising from 45% to 75%.
This suggests a growing use of e-scooters in the capital, reports RTE.
The average age of those injured remained around 33 years.
Only one person under 16 was treated for a facial injury after e-scooters were legalised, compared to three such cases before the legislation, reports RTE.
However, injury numbers rose among users aged 16–34 and 35–44.
No facial injuries involving e-scooter riders over the age of 60 were reported during either period.
The research also identified a shift in both the frequency and severity of facial fractures since the legislation came into effect, reports RTE.
The cheekbone remains the most commonly fractured area, followed by the jaw.
The authors said that while the legislative changes appear to have had “some modest impact”—notably fewer injuries among young teenagers and possibly fewer head injuries due to the new speed limit—there is a growing strain on healthcare from rising facial injuries, reports RTE.
They concluded that the combination of more Dublin-based injuries, higher alcohol use, and increased night-time riding “underscores a potential growing risk profile.”
The study concluded by recommending continued monitoring and policy reviews to better prevent injuries related to e-scooter use, reports RTE.
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