With e-scooter helmet use increasingly becoming mandatory at regional level, the French government is aiming to draft and legally secure its own decree for regulation at the national level. The legislation may also be extended to cyclists.
Since the beginning of 2026, there have been a series of regional directives across France, requiring riders to protect their heads while riding an e-scooter or other types of motorised personal transport devices. Regions which have implemented it are Paris, Alpes-Maritimes, Yonne, Manche, and Yvelines.
Regional authorities that haven’t yet made helmet use mandatory have been encouraged to do so for consistency nationwide.
There has been speculation about whether regulations could extend to cyclists, including e-bike riders, also legally having to wear a helmet.
French government looking to make helmet use mandatory
The Junior Minister for Citizenship, Marie-Pierre Vedrenne, has told Le Monde that the French government is drafting and legally securing its own decree at the national level. Vedrenne also wants the measure to be widened to include mandatory helmet use for all cyclists across France.
In reaction to the possible measure being extended to cyclists, cycling advocacy groups have argued that it would be counterproductive and not protect cyclists in most fatal accidents.
A government source has implied that this national regulation is unlikely to be passed before the government’s next election process, which will start in April 2027.
Where the rider meets the machine: LEVA-EU member Viiala and UNIT 1 Partner to define the future of safe riding.
An exclusive Smart Helmet, engineered exclusively for the world’s most advanced electric bicycle.
Eysins, SWITZERLAND JUNE 2025
Viiala, the ultra-premium electric bicycle brand co-founded by Tomi Viiala and François-Henri Bennahmias, announces a landmark partnership with UNIT 1, the world’s leading developer of Smart Helmets for cycling. Together, the two companies will co-create an exclusive helmet engineered from the ground up to interface seamlessly with the Viiala e-bike and to deliver a riding experience defined, above all else, by safety.
SAFETY AS THE FOUNDATION OF EVERYTHING
At Viiala, safety is not a specification it is a design philosophy. Building the world’s most advanced electric bicycle demands an equally uncompromising approach to rider protection. Every element of the Viiala experience has been conceived around a simple truth: there are precisely four points where a rider makes contact with their machine. Four interfaces between human and bicycle. Grip, saddle, pedals and helmet.
HELMET – The most critical interface. Now, reimagined.
The helmet is the singular touchpoint that can determine whether a rider walks away from an incident. For Viiala, ‘good enough’ protection was never an option. This is why the partnership with UNIT 1 was not a choice it was an inevitability. The helmet co-developed exclusively for Viiala will be built to the most demanding protection standards in the world, while introducing a suite of connected technology that transforms it into an active extension of the bike itself.
ACTIVE SAFETY: BEFORE, DURING AND AFTER
UNIT 1 was founded on a radical premise: that a helmet should not merely protect a rider after a crash it should work to prevent one from happening in the first place, and continue working even after impact. Their approach, which they call Active Safety, operates across three phases of every ride:
Before a crash: High-intensity lights positioned at eye-level make the rider visible to drivers. Integrated turn signals and brake lights communicate intent making the rider not only seen, but predictable.
During a crash: UNIT 1 helmets carry a 5-star Virginia Tech safety rating with MIPS system and NTA e-bike certification best-in-class impact protection at the moment it matters most.
After a crash: Crash Alert technology detects an impact and automatically sends an SOS text with the rider’s precise location to an emergency contact. First responders can scan the helmet to access the rider’s medical ID and critical health information immediately.
The Viiala-exclusive helmet will go further still, featuring a dedicated technology suite designed to interface directly with the bike delivering critical riding data to the rider without requiring them to look down or break concentration. It is the ultimate interface for the ultimate electric bicycle.
IN THEIR OWN WORDS
“At Viiala, we believe the most important question in electric cycling is not what a bike can do it is what happens to the rider. Four contact points connect a human being to our VIIALA that can travel at 45 km/h or more. We are obsessed with making each of those four points as safe, as precise, and as intelligent as possible. UNIT 1 shares that obsession. This partnership is not a commercial arrangement it is a shared conviction.” — Tomi Viiala, Co-Founder, Viiala
“When I heard Tomi was building something new after his days at Stromer, I knew UNIT 1 had to be part of it before I even knew what it was. We had pioneered the helmet-to-bike connection together. Now, working with Viiala feels like the natural evolution of that same original idea: what can a Smart Helmet do when connected to the most advanced electric bicycle ever built? When Tomi reached out, we jumped aboard in a second.” — Juan Garcia Mansilla, Co-founder, UNIT 1
A PARTNERSHIP FORGED IN SHARED HISTORY
This is not the first time Viiala’s Co-Founder has worked alongside UNIT 1. As Co-CEO of Stromer — the Swiss manufacturer that established the S-Pedelec category as a global premium benchmark — Tomi Viiala and the UNIT 1 team pioneered the world’s first helmet-toe- bike integration, introducing a connected, safer riding experience the industry had never encountered.
The Viiala partnership represents the next chapter of that shared mission — elevated to match the ambition of an ultra-premium electric bicycle that is redefining what the category can mean. Since 2021, UNIT 1 has reached over 60,000 riders globally. Their technology has demonstrably saved lives. For Viiala — a brand that will not compromise on any dimension of the ride — there was only one choice for the helmet.
This is not a co-branded accessory. It is a system component conceived and engineered as part of the Viiala experience from the ground up, held to the same standards of precision and intention as every other element of the machine.
THE COMMITMENT
Every rider who swings a leg over a Viiala is placing an extraordinary amount of trust in the people who built it. That is not a transaction. It is something closer to a promise one that travels with them on every ride, whether they are conscious of it or not.
Viiala was not built to impress. It was built to be worthy of that trust. The kind of worthy that shows up quietly, in decisions made long before the rider ever touches the bike. In the choice of partners. In what you refuse to compromise. In the belief that the person on the bike their safety, their confidence, their ability to come home matters more than anything else.
That is what UNIT 1 means to Viiala. Not a feature. A promise kept
ABOUT VIIALA
Unveiled in 2025 as part of the Honourable Merchants Group and launching its inaugural bikes in 2028, Viialaʼs first model enters a new, untapped technological and innovation-led market in the segment. More than an e-bike, it is a statement of possibility where engineering, aesthetics, and purpose converge to create the ultimate riding experience for the cities of today and the roads of tomorrow.
UNIT 1 develops Smart Helmets for cycling, using technology to make rides safe beyond the confines of traditional impact protection. Using lights, turn signals, brake lights and an advanced sensor suite, UNIT 1 has created the only two Smart Helmets in the world with a 5-star Virginia Tech safety ranking. Since 2023, UNIT 1 has pioneered the integration between helmets and e-bikes — originally with Stromer and now expanded across brands — making it the leading authority in connected e-bike helmets. Today, more than 60,000 riders trust UNIT 1 gear on every ride. www.unit1gear.com
The Irish government is considering introducing compulsory helmet use for e-scooter riders as part of a wider review of road safety regulations. The discussions come amid growing e-scooter adoption, with around 4% of adults in Ireland now regular users, and follow the deaths of three riders in e-scooter-related incidents last year.
The Irish media has reported that Taoiseach Micheál Martin, Minister of State for Road Safety Seán Canney and Minister for Transport Darragh O’Brien are expected to meet early this year to discuss strengthening existing rules and improving enforcement. Measures under consideration are expected to include mandatory helmet use and the wearing of high-visibility clothing.
E-scooter safety concerns
Road safety advocates have emphasised the importance of addressing the most serious risks associated with e-scooter use. Margaret Winchcomb, Deputy Executive Director at the Parliamentary Advisory Council for Transport Safety, said: “Basic risk mitigation starts with tackling the worst things which are most likely to happen.”
She added: “Head injuries are common in e-scooter riders and the impact of traumatic brain injury can be devastating. The obvious move for Ireland, which many countries in Europe have already taken, is to mandate the wearing of helmets for everyone riding an e-scooter.”
Operator response to proposed measures
Micromobility operators have responded cautiously to the proposals. Georgia Heathman, Policy Lead for Ireland at Bolt, which launched Ireland’s first shared e-scooter scheme in 2024, said the operator “welcomes” discussions on measures aimed at improving e-scooter safety.
“Safety is a top priority for us and we strongly urge all scooter riders to wear a helmet whenever they ride,” Heathman told Zag Daily. “If helmet use were to become mandatory, we would work closely with local authorities to understand the practical implications and ensure any changes support safe, responsible and accessible micromobility across Ireland.”
Private vs shared e-scooter safety
Heathman noted that the majority of safety incidents involve privately owned e-scooters. While private e-scooters are legal in Ireland and subject to a speed limit of 20 km/h, they can be tampered with to exceed that limit.
On Bolt’s shared e-scooter service, riders are capped at 20 km/h, must be at least 18 years old (compared with a minimum age of 16 for private e-scooters), and all trips are tracked via GPS. The operator also uses in-app reaction tests to address riding under the influence and deploys technology designed to prevent more than one person riding a scooter at a time.
Current legal framework and industry debate
E-scooters have been legal in Ireland since May 2024. Under the current framework, riders are not required to wear helmets or high-visibility clothing, nor are they required to hold a licence, register their vehicle, or pay tax or insurance.
Mandatory helmet use remains a subject of debate within the global shared micromobility industry, balancing safety considerations against concerns about potential impacts on ridership. In the UK, helmet use is not legally required but is strongly recommended, with local authorities participating in e-scooter trials (extended until May 2028), provided that they contribute to policymaking, such as being able to test approaches to helmet policies.
From an industry standpoint, operators often promote helmet use through voluntary measures, including providing free helmets when launching services or offering incentives to riders who choose to wear them.