Man (20s) seriously injured after falling from e-scooter

A MAN understood to be in his 20s was taken to Tallaght University Hospital with serious injuries on Monday night after he fell from an escooter in Clondalkin.

The man fell from an e-scooter while travelling on Belgard Road by Newlands Cross at approximately 7pm that evening.

Gardaí and emergency services responded at the scene and the man was transported to Tallaght Hospital for treatment of serious injuries that he had sustained.

The road upon which the accident had occurred has since fully reopened to traffic. Mayor of South Dublin County Council, Councillor Francis Timmons noted his worry and concern about e-scooters after the incident in the local area.

Mayor Timmons said: “I am very worried and concerned about e-scooters, ongoing reports of accidents are concerning”

“This latest incident has seen a young man left in a serious condition following a fall from an escooter, it again highlights the potential danger of e-scooter use.”

Tougher restrictions on e-scooters are set to be brought in this month, making hi-vis jackets and helmets mandatory for all users of e-scooters, as well as a ban on anyone under 18 using them, up from the current age restriction of 16.

Licensing and registration is also set to be introduced as the status of e-scooters will be upgraded to define them as mechanically propelled vehicles, and the sale of vehicles that do not meet legal requirements for use on public roads will be prohibited.

This follows reports of accidents in the past number of years involving the use of the vehicles.

The number of patients presenting with injuries from e-scooter related injuries at Tallaght University Hospital nearly doubled over 12 months between August 2023 and August 2024, according to a study by the hospital’s Department of Trauma and Orthopaedics.

Up to 201 patients presented to the Emergency Department in Tallaght with e-scooter related injuries in the study’s time frame, compared to 105 injuries in the previous 12-month period.

On top of this, Gardaí have seized more than 1,000 e-scooters since the start of the year and recently seized vehicles through Operation Meacán in Ronanstown and Lucan and also seized e-scooters through recent searches in Tallaght and other areas.