Two out of three adults believe there should be legislation on e-scooters in Ireland

Recent debates in Irish news have focused on e-scooters, particularly in reference to the legal status surrounding their regulation, legislation on safety and licensing, and usage in public spaces.

With this in mind, iReach Insights conducted a nationally representative survey of opinions on e-scooters and e-scooter legislation on 1,001 adults in Ireland. 

Two out of three adults (66%) agree that there should be legislation on e-scooters, while 56% believe that riders of e-scooters should be required to have a license. 65% of adults think e-scooters should be banned on footpaths. 
 
Only 2% of adults own e-scooters, with the three top types of e-scooters being: 1. Two-wheeled Electric Scooter (25%), 2. Hoverboard (22%), and 3. Self-balancing Personal Transporter (e.g. Segway) (22%). 79% of e-scooter owners say their e-scooter’s primary purpose is as a hobby or pastime.
 
34% of 18-34 year old’s would consider buying an e-scooter, compared to only 21% of those aged 55+. The top three reasons for buying an e-scooter were: 1. Transportation (81%), 2. Climate protection (31%), and 3. Healthy lifestyle (29%). In contrast, the top three reasons against buying an e-scooter were: 1. Lack of safety on roads (38%), 2. Don’t like scooters in general (29%), and 3. Wouldn’t enjoy driving a scooter (26%).