Sharp Drop in Helmet Use Among Cyclists and E-Scooter Riders Revealed in New RSA Study

Helmet wearing rates among pedal cyclists have fallen to 50%, down seven percentage points from 2024, while e-scooter riders showed an alarming 15 percentage point decline to just 27%, according to the Road Safety Authority's annual observational survey published today.

The 2025 Motorcyclist & Pedal Cyclist Use of High Visibility Clothing and Helmet Wearing study analysed 20,396 observations across 10 urban centres in August, revealing worrying trends in safety equipment usage as Ireland enters the darker winter months.

Helmet Wearing: Mixed Results Across Road Users

The survey found near-universal helmet compliance among motorcyclists, with 98% observed wearing helmets. This represents a slight one percentage point decrease from 2024's 99% rate but maintains the consistently high levels seen across a decade of studies.

However, pedal cyclists showed concerning trends, with only half wearing helmets compared to 57% in 2024. The decline was consistent across genders, with male cyclists dropping from 56% to 49% and female cyclists from 60% to 52%.

The steepest decline was observed among e-scooter riders. Just 27% were wearing helmets in 2025, down dramatically from 42% the previous year. Male e-scooter riders fell from 41% to 26%, whilst female riders dropped from 47% to 34%.

High Visibility Clothing Remains Low

Despite entering darker winter months, high visibility clothing usage remained stubbornly low across all categories. Just 28% of motorcyclists wore high visibility gear, representing a modest one percentage point increase from 2024. Among pedal cyclists, the rate remained unchanged at 20%.

E-scooter riders showed minimal improvement, with 19% wearing high visibility clothing compared to 18% in 2024.

The survey revealed a continuing ten-year downward trend in high visibility clothing usage. Since 2012, when 46% of motorcyclists wore such gear, rates have dropped to current levels. Pedal cyclist usage has similarly declined from 49% in 2012 to today's 20%.

Regional and Time-Based Variations

Dublin showed the highest helmet wearing rate among pedal cyclists at 51%, though this represented a nine percentage point decrease from 2024. Limerick recorded the lowest rate at 35%, followed by Region 1 at 38% and Cork at 39%.

The morning period saw the highest helmet compliance among cyclists at 60%, whilst the inter-peak period recorded just 36%. Public bike users showed particularly low helmet usage at just 12%, compared to 52% for both electric bike and private bicycle users.

For high visibility clothing, Dublin led among pedal cyclists at 21%, whilst Galway recorded the lowest rate at 12%. Among motorcyclists, Limerick topped the table at 40%, with Dublin at 33%.

Safety Concerns Mount

Sam Waide, Chief Executive of the RSA:

"Whilst we welcome the continued strong compliance with helmet wearing among motorcyclists, the decline among pedal cyclists and e-scooter riders is deeply concerning. A decision to wear a helmet, or to make yourself more visible, can be the difference between a minor incident and a life-altering one. As we head into darker winter months, I urge all road users to take every possible step to protect themselves and others."

The findings come as An Garda Síochána launched its nationwide visibility campaign, "Can You See Me Now?", highlighting the critical importance of being seen on Irish roads, particularly for vulnerable road users including pedestrians, cyclists, e-scooter riders and motorcyclists.

Study Methodology

The survey followed methodology specified by the European Commission's Trendline Project, which brings together 25 EU member states to develop harmonised road safety data collection approaches.

Fieldwork was conducted by Nationwide Data Collection on behalf of the RSA across 150 sites in Cork, Dublin, Galway, Limerick, Kilkenny, the Midlands, Waterford, Kildare, Maynooth and Newbridge. Observations took place during daylight hours across three periods: morning (07:30 to 10:30), inter-peak (12:00 to 15:00), and evening (16:00 to 19:00).

The 2025 study marked the second year that e-scooter riders were included in the analysis, following their introduction in 2024.

Although e-scooter riders are not legally required to wear helmets, the RSA strongly recommends all riders use a bicycle helmet and wear high visibility clothing, particularly at night or in poor daylight conditions.

The full report is available on the RSA website.