Infrastructure Minister Liz Kimmins has formally thanked members of the public for sharing harrowing personal experiences of illegal e-scooter use, as her Department launches a video campaign to highlight the dangers these vehicles pose on Northern Ireland’s roads and pavements. The initiative, published today across government social media channels, features firsthand accounts from medical professionals and visually impaired pedestrians who warn that the machines are “heavy, dangerous” devices—not toys—and are causing terror among vulnerable road users.
The campaign arrives amid mounting pressure on policymakers to address the proliferation of privately owned e-scooters, which remain illegal to use in public spaces across Northern Ireland. While the Republic of Ireland legalised the devices under strict regulations in May 2024, Northern Ireland maintains an outright ban, with Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) data showing seizures rising from just two vehicles in 2022/23 to 28 in 2024/25, and collisions involving injury climbing from 25 to 41 over the same period.
Medical and Personal Testimonies
The Department’s video series features testimony from those witnessing the human cost of illegal riding. Dr Duncan Redmill, a Consultant in Emergency Medicine at Belfast’s Royal Victoria Hospital, appears in one film warning about the life-changing injuries he has treated. In the video, Dr Redmill states:
“E-scooters are not toys, they’re heavy dangerous machines.”
The campaign also amplifies the fears of disabled pedestrians. Julieanne, who has sight and hearing impairments, recounts how a near miss with an e-scooter rider knocked her confidence and created fresh hurdles in planning her everyday journeys. She asks viewers:
“It knocks your confidence… would you like one of your family members to be in this position?”
Ken, who is registered blind and relies on his guide dog Waffle for independence, explains in a separate video that illegal e-scooter use threatens not just physical safety but social isolation. He warns:
“I would be totally lost without Waffle. Isolation for visually impaired people is probably the worst thing that could happen.”
Minister Appeals for Responsibility
Minister Kimmins endorsed the testimonies, thanking contributors for sharing their experiences. She said:
“I’d like to thank those who shared their stories with us this week. I am aware of the increasing concern around the illegal use of e-scooters on our public roads and spaces.
“It is highly dangerous for the riders, and for members of the public.
“E-scooters are heavy machines. Those who ride them often weave through pedestrians at speed, or straight into oncoming busy traffic, often causing terrifying near misses, dangerous collisions, or causing serious injury.”
Kimmins stressed that riders are not only risking injury but committing criminal offences. She added:
“As these videos have clearly shown, e-scooters strike fear into those who are particularly vulnerable, those with mobility issues or visual impairments – who feel like they have to change their route just to feel safer.
“I want to remind everyone that e-scooters are not toys, and parents and guardians must be aware of these risks to children and young people.
“Anyone using e-scooters in public spaces are putting their lives, and the lives of those around them at risk, and they’re breaking the law.
“I appeal to everyone to think twice before using an e-scooter, think about the life changing risks, not just to yourself, but to other road users and pedestrians.
“We all have a personal responsibility to create safe spaces for us all to use in our everyday journeys.”
In a final statement accompanying her own video message, the Minister reiterated: “I want to remind everyone that e-scooters are not toys, and parents and guardians must be aware of these risks to children and young people. Anyone using e scooters in public spaces are putting their lives, and the lives of those around them at risk, and they’re breaking the law.”
Police Enforcement Stance
Chief Inspector Celeste Simpson, Head of Road Policing at the PSNI, welcomed the Department’s initiative and clarified the legal framework governing the devices. She explained:
“The Police Service of Northern Ireland welcomes this Department of Infrastructure initiative and looks forward to continuing our engagement with partners around this issue.
“We hope these videos can educate e-scooter users on the dangers of these vehicles, and highlight that these machines are not actually legal on the roads or pavements.
“Under current legislation, e-scooters are deemed to be a motor vehicle, meaning the rider must have a driving licence and the vehicle must be taxed, insured and fitted with lights and a number plate.
“This means e-scooters on roads and in public spaces are being ridden illegally and, so, a large number of individuals – many of them children – are committing offences in that the machine they are riding is not legally allowed to be in a public space.
“From a safety point of view, their inappropriate use in public spaces poses a risk to the safety of both rider and the public. People have already been seriously hurt as a result of their use.
“When our officers engage with riders, they use the four ‘e’s’ approach – engage, explain, encourage and enforce.
“Overall, it will require a co-ordinated approach by sellers, parents, users/owners, PSNI and partners to reduce the number of e-scooters on our roads and encourage their responsible and legal use.”
Contrasting Approaches Across the Island
While today’s campaign reinforces Northern Ireland’s prohibitive stance, the jurisdiction stands increasingly isolated. Since 20 May 2024, riders in the Republic of Ireland have been permitted to use e-scooters on roads under the Road Traffic and Roads Act 2023, provided devices meet strict weight, speed and power limits and are fitted with lights and reflectors.
Across the Irish Sea, the UK government committed to consulting on e-scooter legalisation as part of a “biggest review of transport laws in a generation,” yet campaigners note that legislation was omitted from the 2026 King’s Speech, leaving rental trial schemes in Great Britain operating in legislative limbo until at least late 2026.
Key statistics highlight the enforcement challenge in Northern Ireland:
- PSNI seizures of e-scooters rose from 2 in 2022/23 to 23 in 2023/24, and 28 in 2024/25
- Reported injury collisions involving e-scooters increased from 25 (2022/23) to 32 (2023/24) and 41 (2024/25)
- E-scooters remain classified as motor vehicles under the Road Traffic Act 1988, requiring registration, tax, insurance and an MOT—standards no privately owned device currently meets
Questions for Policymakers
As the awareness campaign runs its course, several questions remain unanswered:
- With the Republic of Ireland having established a regulated legal framework and Great Britain running extensive rental trials, will Northern Ireland maintain its absolute prohibition, or does the Department for Infrastructure envisage a future controlled trial allowing legal use?
- Given that PSNI data shows a fourteen-fold increase in seizures in just three years, does the “four e’s” approach strike the correct balance between education and enforcement, or is a harder deterrent line required?
- How will any future legislative change protect vulnerable pedestrians—particularly those with visual impairments—if e-scooters are eventually permitted on pavements or cycle paths?
- What specific engagement is planned with retailers and manufacturers to prevent the sale of non-compliant devices to parents and children, given that many riders are reportedly minors?
- Will the Department publish targets for reducing e-scooter-related casualties, or is this campaign purely educational with no measurable safety outcomes?
Today’s initiative represents a public information push rather than a regulatory shift. With the UK government’s promised Transport Bill on e-scooters delayed and the Assembly having debated antisocial use of scramblers and e-scooters as recently as April 2026, stakeholders will be watching closely for any indication that Minister Kimmins intends to move beyond awareness-raising toward legislative reform—or whether the ban will remain absolute as neighbouring jurisdictions forge ahead with regulation.
Watch the campaign videos: