A teenager has been critically injured in a road crash in Co Kerry, An Garda Síochána has said.
He had been travelling on an e-scooter on St Brendan’s Road in Tralee on Saturday evening.
The youth was discovered with serious injuries on the road at about 6.30pm.
Gardaí said he was taken to University Hospital Kerry where his condition is described as critical.
A Garda spokesman said the scene of the incident has been preserved for a technical examination and any witnesses are urged to come forward.
“Any road users or pedestrians who were in the area between 6pm and 7pm and may have camera footage, including dashcam, are asked to make it available,” the force said.
“Anyone with information regarding this incident is asked to contact Tralee Garda station on 066 710 2300, the Garda Confidential Line at 1800 666 111, or any garda station.”
From May, children aged under 16 were banned from using electric scooters in public spaces under regulations signed into law by Minister for Transport Eamon Ryan.
However, adults are permitted to legally use them on the roads as long as their electric scooter complies with certain specifications. The regulations set a speed limit of 20km/h and placed a ban on them being used for carrying a passenger or goods.
The rapid growth in the use of e-scooters, especially in urban settings, led to calls for tighter regulations regarding the machines.
The European Transport Safety Council, which the Irish Road Safety Authority is a member of, last year recommended the use of helmets and a minimum age of 16 for piloting an e-scooter, as well as a 20km/h speed limit being set in factories by manufacturers. The Government passed legislation last year to enable the regulations to come into force. – PA
