Stores selling electric scooters openly advising how to flout safety laws, Irish Mirror investigation shows
An Irish Mirror investigation showed how some sales reps are telling punters the ways safety features can be altered to double speeds
Some outlets selling electric scooters are openly advising customers how easy it is to flout new safety laws, an Irish Mirror investigation shows.
Our undercover probe reveals how some sales reps are telling punters the ways safety features can be altered to double speeds. Some also claimed there is little-to-no enforcement by Gardaí while also outlining what to do if stopped.
Legislation was introduced in May to regulate the two-wheeled modes of transport which state they cannot go faster than 20kph.
Our investigation has led campaigners to call for stronger enforcement of the new laws while Labour TD Duncan Smith said he was “shocked” at our findings.
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This newspaper visited outlets, which we are not naming for legal reasons, that explained to an undercover reporter ways to circumvent the new rules which state that safety features and settings should not be altered to boost speeds.
Since e-scooters became legal three teenagers using them have been killed. While there is no suggestion any safety features or speeds were altered in those tragic incidents, the deaths highlighted the vulnerability of scooter users on the roads.
In June, teens Gilbert Collins, 15, and Avu Idris, 17, who were on the same electric scooter, were killed. A month later 14-year-old Joe Carthy died following an accident while riding an electric scooter in Kilkenny. Our undercover reporter, posing as a prospective customer, went to a store and inquired about what models were available.
After showing our reporter, a “road legal” Dualtron Togo scooter – one of the most popular models on Irish roads – which was capped at the new Irish limit of 20kph, the sales rep then revealed the limiter could be easily circumvented to bump the max speed up to 45kph.
The sales rep told our undercover reporter that 90% of customers who have purchased electric scooters from the store have requested the limiter be removed.
In our interaction, the salesperson explained that most users “want it faster” and said models with speeds up to 100kph were available. The sales rep also gave advice on what to do if stopped by Gardaí in order to pretend you are driving at a legal speed.
They explained: “If you’re going on the road and if you’re going to get stopped – drop a gear. And then they’re [Gardaí] going to look at the scooter and say ‘Oh, it’s 20’. So you get away.”
Our reporter then asked if many people were getting stopped by the Gardaí. The sales rep responded: “Not much actually believe it or not.” They said since the law changed only two customers have phoned about being stopped by Gardaí.
When asked if it was worrying people, the sales rep said: “Yes and no, like some people don’t give a s**t.” During our conversation, the employee said the decision to remove the speed limitation was our “call” and confirmed this would mean it was no longer “road legal”.
When contacted afterwards, the outlet said that “the scooter which their sales rep showed our reporter cannot be unlocked without the customer’s direct involvement and that the customer must use an app to enable it to be unlocked and its speed to be increased”.
The new law states it is illegal for a rider to modify a scooter “in a manner which compromises the safe use of the vehicle.” It also says scooters cannot be modified “in a manner that enables the driver to alter upwards the maximum design speed”.
When our undercover reporter visited a different store selling electric scooters, the sales rep immediately offered a scooter that goes 45kph despite being told it was going to be used to commute to work.
The sales rep went on to explain the regulations to our reporter and said they sold a model that came out of the box capped at 20kph but revealed an app could increase that speed to 30kph.
The sales rep said: “The other thing to consider is the regulations. Mine is outside the regulations, I still continue to use it as I have done.” When asked about the law change, the sales rep said: “It’s really up to you about how bothered you are about the regulations.”
Our reporter then asked if the Garda were stopping people, the sales rep explained: “I’ve gone by the guards numerous times and like that I’m going to work so I have my helmet on, my bag. I’m not doing stupid things. If you’re doing something stupid they’re going to use it to pull you.
“If you’re going 50/60 through a housing estate, weaving in and out of cars – they’re going to pull you. It’s really about using common sense, whether you’re being smart, you’re not doing anything stupid.”
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