A new report has found a “concerning” decline in the number of cyclists and e-scooter users wearing helmets.
The Road Safety Authority (RSA) has published the findings of its Motorcyclist & Pedal Cyclist Use of High Visibility Clothing and Helmet Wearing Observational Survey 2025, which also reveals persistently low levels of high-visibility clothing use across all bike categories.
The key findings of the study were:
- Very high helmet wearing rates were observed once again among motorcyclists, at 98%, and this result is consistent with the findings from past studies.
- Much lower helmet wearing rates were observed among pedal cyclists, at 50%. This represents a decrease of 7% from 2024.
- A significant fall in helmet wearing rates among e-scooter riders, at 27%, down 15% from last year.
- A 10-year downward trend has been observed in rates of high visibility clothing usage among motorcyclists and pedal cyclists.
- 28% of motorcyclists wore high visibility clothing, a slight increase from 2024, and 20% of pedal cyclists wore high visibility clothing, unchanged from 2024.
- Only 19% of e-scooter riders wore high visibility clothing, representing a slight increase year-on-year.
“While we welcome the continued strong compliance with helmet wearing among motorcyclists, the decline among pedal cyclists and e-scooter riders is deeply concerning,” said Sam Waide, Chief Executive of the RSA.
“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.”
