Paris fines e-scooter riders €135 for no helmet

Electric scooter riders in Paris now face fines if they hit the streets without a helmet or high-vis vest, as the city cracks down on a deadly surge in accidents.

Last year, 79 people died in e-scooter crashes in Paris, nearly double the 45 fatalities the year before. Police say the numbers show “a concerning rise in serious and fatal accidents.” From now on, anyone riding an e-scooter, electric unicycle or hoverboard on public roads must wear an approved helmet or pay €135. Skip the high-vis vest or retro-reflectors and the fine is €35.

The new rules come after 1,100 e-scooter injuries in Paris in 2024, a 33% jump from 2023. They also cover privately owned scooters, even though the city banned rental models last year because of safety complaints. France already has Europe’s highest private e-scooter ownership—2.5 million units in 2023—and Paris is believed to have a large share.

City officials say helmets and vests are already mandatory in several French regions, so they’re simply tightening enforcement. Existing Paris rules already ban riders under 14, passengers and speeds above 25 km/h. The move follows a 2023 referendum where 90% of voters backed the rental ban, though turnout was low. Other European capitals are taking similar steps: Madrid outlawed rental e-scooters this year and Brussels will do the same in June.

The crackdown signals Paris’s shift from welcoming e-scooters to trying to make them safer, or pushing them off the roads entirely. With accidents rising and voters wary, the city is gambling that stricter rules will save lives—or at least shift the blame if they don’t.