A study has found that the percentage of cases where the presence of alcohol and drugs was involved in patients presenting with e-scooter injuries has doubled since use of the electric scooters was legalised in May 2024.
The research from St James’s Hospital also found that helmet use had decreased since the law was passed – while the percentage of trauma presentations attributed to e-scooter injuries increased.
The study was undertaken by doctors at the National Maxillofacial Unit at St James’s Hospital who said they sought to examine the impact of the 2024 legislation on the incidence, clinical presentation, and management of maxillofacial injuries.
The aim was to compare the demographics, incidence rates, clinical presentation, injury patterns, and management of patients presenting to the National Maxillofacial Trauma Unit with e-scooter-related injuries before and after the legislative change, researchers said.
The retrospective cohort study analysed two 9-month periods: one pre-legislation from May 2023 to Feb 2024 – and one post-legislation from May 2024–Feb 2025. All patients presenting at the hospital with e-scooter-related maxillofacial (head and neck including jaws, face, and mouth) injuries were included.
The pre-legislation period included 22 patients with 26 injuries, while the post-legislation period had 28 patients with 36 injuries.
The study found that e-scooter injuries increased from 1.7 to 2.3% of trauma presentations. After the legislation, male patients increased from 59% to 71.4%, and non-Irish nationals from 41 to 46.4%. Injuries among Dublin residents rose from 45.5 to 75%.
The mean age of those presenting with injuries remained consistent at 33 years, while and patients under 16 years decreased from 3 to 1.
Research showed that helmet use in those presenting with injuries dropped from 22.7 to 17.9%, while alcohol/substance involvement increased from 18.2 to 35.7%.
While the pre-legislation period showed most injuries occurring between 4pm and 7pm, since the law was passed more than half of all e-scooter injuries occurred between 7pm and 6am – and researchers found that more than half of this cohort reported having consumed alcohol at the time.
“Alcohol use and poor helmet compliance in the later hours of injury incidence was a prevalent finding in both cohorts,” the study noted.
Facial injuries rose from 26 to 36, with admission rates increasing from 31.2 to 35.7%. Surgical procedures increased from 9 to 13.
The researcher concluded that “while the legislation may have reduced injuries among those under 16 and head trauma incidence, overall injury rates and surgical interventions continue to rise with growing e-scooter use. Ongoing surveillance and policy evaluation are essential for effective injury prevention strategies.”