Paris orders e-scooter users to wear helmets, reflective gear

PARIS – Electric scooter riders in Paris must now wear helmets and reflective gear under new rules introduced after a significant rise in injuries involving the two-wheelers, the police said on Aug 8.

The new rules, which took effect in Paris and its inner suburbs on Aug 7, apply to anyone riding motorised mobility devices, including e-scooters, Segways and hoverboards, which the police say are growing in popularity.

Rental e-scooters have been off the capital’s streets since 2023, when Paris voted to ban them over safety concerns, but privately owned devices remain widely used.

The police said the latest measures were prompted by a rise in accidents involving the devices, with “a significant proportion” causing serious or fatal head injuries.

Deaths among so-called “unprotected road users” – particularly those using motorised mobility devices – rose sharply in 2025, with 79 people killed, up from 45 the previous year, the Paris police said, citing data from France’s road safety watchdog.

About 1,100 e-scooter users were also seriously injured in 2025, a 33 per cent increase from the previous year, according to the same data.

Failure to wear a helmet carries a €135 (S$200) fine, while those without a high-visibility vest or reflective gear face a €35 fine, the police said, stating that the order applies at all times on public roads.

Other European cities have also cracked down on the two-wheelers in recent years, with Madrid banning rental e-scooters in 2024 and Brussels announcing in June that it would follow suit. AFP