Paris e-scooter riders must wear helmets

Electric scooter riders in Paris and its inner suburbs must now wear helmets and reflective gear under new rules introduced after a rise in injuries involving motorised mobility devices, police said on Saturday.

The rules took effect on Friday and apply at all times on public roads to riders of devices including e-scooters, Segways and hoverboards. Failure to wear a helmet carries a 135-euro fine, while riders without a high-visibility vest or reflective gear face a 35-euro fine, police said.

Rental e-scooters have been banned from Paris streets since 2023 after a vote over safety concerns, but privately owned devices remain widely used.

Paris 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. Citing data from France's road safety watchdog, police said deaths among unprotected road users, particularly users of motorised mobility devices, rose to 79 in 2025 from 45 the previous year. They also said about 1,100 e-scooter users were seriously injured in 2025, a 33 percent increase from the previous year.

Other European cities have also restricted the two-wheelers in recent years. Madrid banned rental e-scooters in 2024, and Brussels announced in June that it would do the same.