The city of Dublin has recently increased its efforts to inform the public of the correct electric scooter road laws.

Via brochure handouts, social media and online posts, city staff have restated the legal guidelines for e-scooter riders given their rise in popularity. City staff have said the clarification of rules was brought on by a large number of riders neglecting to follow them.

"We had become aware of some incidents throughout Dublin in which teens and pre-teens had been riding electric scooters unsafely, and often without a driver's license," said Shari Jackman, communications manager for the city.

"There had been some near-misses with electric scooters coming too close to hitting pedestrians on sidewalks or in crosswalks, or passing intersections and driveways without observing other motor vehicles," Jackman added.

In a social media post, the city listed out a set of laws specific to e-scooters operators and addressed the reasoning behind the post.

"Electric scooters have become quite popular as a mode of transportation, especially for teenagers," city officials said. "Unfortunately, many electric scooter drivers neglect to follow the proper rules of the road, which can result in accidents and injury."

Main rules for riders include wearing a helmet at all times. Scooters that are intended for one person at a time must be used by one person at a time.

"Users must carry a valid driver's license, ride at a maximum speed of 15 miles per hour (and) dismount and walk for left turns," the official release said. "Do not ride on sidewalks, abide by crosswalk regulations (and) follow all rules that apply to motor vehicles."

Dublin has also promoted a video clip made by Dublin High School student Avi Ahuja regarding e-scooter protocol, it is available to view on the city's YouTube channel. n