Lyon mandates helmets and reflective vests for electric scooters

A new prefectural decree in the Rhône department and the Lyon metropolitan area now mandates the use of helmets and reflective vests for users of personal motorized mobility devices. The regulation, which took effect on Monday, September 28, applies to electric scooters, gyropods, monowheels, and hoverboards.

Authorities implemented the measure following a significant rise in accidents. Data from the Rhône prefecture recorded 870 accidents involving these devices between 2021 and 2025, resulting in 840 injuries and 11 deaths. In 2025, the number of accidents increased by more than 44% compared to the previous year. In 2026, the toll had already reached 187 accidents, 194 injuries, and two deaths.

Medical professionals at the Femme Mère Enfant hospital in Lyon have previously warned about the severity of these incidents. Research published in July highlighted that falls involving electric scooters are often aggravated by the lack of head protection. According to the Hospices Civils de Lyon, the number of children requiring neurosurgical consultation following such accidents rose from one case in 2021 to 25 in 2025. Since April 2026, the hospital has been receiving approximately twenty young accident victims per month in the emergency department, with one-quarter admitted directly to pediatric intensive care.