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

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, police said on Saturday.

The new rules, which took effect in Paris and its inner suburbs on Friday, apply to anyone riding motorised mobility devices including e-scooters, Segways and hoverboards, which 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.

Police said the latest measure was 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, Paris police said, citing data from France's road safety watchdog.

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

Failure to wear a helmet carries a 135-euro ($156) fine, while those without a high-visibility vest or reflective gear face a 35-euro fine, police said, stating that the order applies at all times on public roads.

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