A recent investigation by the Irish Independent has revealed that high-speed e-scooters are being openly sold in Dublin shops, with some sales representatives advising customers on how to bypass built-in speed limiters. The report highlights serious safety concerns as these illegal scooters are increasingly linked to injuries and collisions across the city.
Under Irish law, e-scooters are restricted to a top speed of 20km/h on public roads, must weigh no more than 25kg, and have a maximum motor output of 400 watts. Riders must be 16 or older, and scooters cannot carry passengers or cargo. Despite these rules, the investigation found a number of models being sold locally capable of reaching speeds of 60km/h, 70km/h, and even 85km/h once unlocked via a display panel or smartphone app.
Retailers in Dublin, including outlets in Blanchardstown, Tallaght, and Portobello, were found recommending these faster models to customers, often citing commuting convenience as a benefit. Some sales staff reportedly demonstrated how to adjust the scooters to reach illegal speeds, even though modifying an e-scooter is an offence.
The dangers of these scooters were underlined by several recent incidents. Darko Zivko, 41, a commuter from Old Kilmainham, Dublin, was struck by a car while riding his e-scooter at around 35-50km/h near Connolly Station. While he suffered only minor injuries, other cases have been far more serious. Garda figures indicate that as of the first week of October 2025, 416 e-scooters have been seized, marking a 218% increase compared with 2024. That year, only 191 scooters were confiscated.
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Tragically, the rise in illegal e-scooters has coincided with multiple fatalities and serious injuries in Dublin. Garda data shows 260 e-scooter-related collisions in the first half of the year, including the deaths of a 21-year-old in Finglas and a man in his 30s on the Old Navan Road in Blanchardstown. Hospitals are also reporting a worrying number of traumatic brain injuries in children and young people, some as young as nine, linked to collisions with high-speed scooters.
While the Department of Transport emphasises that enforcement of legislation falls to An Garda Síochána, and the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission does not have oversight of e-scooter sales, medical experts and local councillors are calling for urgent action. Professor Raymond Carson, medical director at Beaumont Hospital, described high-speed e-scooters as “dangerous” and warned that the machines entering the market are increasingly sophisticated. Councillor Danny Byrne argued that law and order must be restored, saying: “It is beyond outrageous that sales reps are openly pushing e-scooters that can be unlocked to illegal speeds. It is like handing someone a car with a hidden switch to double the speed limit and saying ‘have fun!’”
The Irish Independent’s investigation also observed widespread misuse of e-scooters in central Dublin, including riders mounting footpaths, travelling at excessive speeds, and carrying passengers. Officials from the Garda National Road Policing Unit and the Road Safety Authority say the majority of users are young males, often unaware of the legal limits.
Despite warnings and enforcement efforts, experts warn that without stricter regulation and enforcement, the risks posed by illegally fast e-scooters will continue to escalate, placing commuters, pedestrians, and children at significant risk.
