The Road Safety Authority (RSA) has urged parents not to gift their children quad bikes over the Christmas period.
The authority is strongly advising against the purchase of some types of vehicles for children, including quad bikes, scrambler bikes, and e-scooters.
The RSA has issued a reminder to parents that quad bikes and scramblers pose significant safety risks to children.
Parents are urged to avoid gifting vehicles to ensure the safety and well-being of young people during the holiday season.
Casualty figures show that, between January 1, 2020, and December 31, 2023, 49 people were seriously injured in collisions involving a quad bike or scrambler on a public road.
In the same period, there were three fatalities involving quad bikes or scramblers on public roads.
The RSA also said that, as part of laws introduced in May of this year, individuals must be at least 16 years old to legally use an e-scooter in Ireland.
They are also banned from footpaths and users are not allowed to carry passengers.
Four e-scooter riders were killed and 117 seriously injured on Irish roads between January 1, 2020 and December 31, 2023.
During the same period, 1 other road user was killed and 20 more seriously injured in collisions involving e-scooters.
Sam Waide, the chief executive of the RSA, said: “The greatest gift parents can give this year is ensuring the safety of their children. Parents should not consider purchasing a quad or an e-scooter for any child this Christmas.
“It is crucial for parents and members of the public to recognise that quads and e-scooters are designed to be operated by those of an age to fully understand the dangers they pose when not being used appropriately or on uneven terrain,” Waide added.
Quad bikes used in a public places require the driver to have a licence. Therefore, the minimum age is 16 for light quads (350kg or less) with a maximum design speed of not more than 45kph. Otherwise, the minimum age is 17 years.
While this licencing rule does not necessarily apply to the use of quadbikes in the workplace (including farms), laws came into force in November last year, establishing new requirements for all quad bike users.
These are the use of a helmet of a certain standard, and training which must be undertaken with a registered training provider.