Paris mandates helmets and reflective clothing for all e-scooter riders
Paris has introduced a rule requiring anyone on motorised personal-mobility devices to wear a helmet and high-visibility gear after a surge in serious injuries.
Paris and its surrounding inner suburbs enacted new safety regulations on Aug 7, obliging users of motorised mobility devices—such as e-scooters, Segways and hoverboards—to wear helmets and high-visibility or reflective clothing at all times on public roads. Police reported that the policy responds to a steep climb in accidents, noting 79 fatalities among unprotected road users in 2025, up from 45 the year before, and a 33 % rise in serious injuries to e-scooter riders, totaling about 1,100 cases.
Non-compliance will attract a €135 fine for missing a helmet and a €35 fine for lacking reflective gear. While rental e-scooters have been prohibited since 2023, privately owned units continue to be widely used. The crackdown mirrors actions in Madrid, which banned rental scooters in 2024, and Brussels, which announced a similar move in June.
Why it matters
The rule aims to curb growing injuries and deaths linked to e-scooter use in a city where such devices are increasingly common.
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