Gardaí have confiscated more than 300 scramblers over the last two years and have the power to bring people to court if they are driving these vehicles dangerously, Minister of State at the Department of Transport Seán Canney has said.
Mr Canney said a proposal to ban scramblers from public roads and places will be brought forward in the wake of the death of 16-year-old pedestrian Grace Lynch following a scrambler bike crash in Finglas on Sunday.
Two teenagers on the bike, an adult male and a male juvenile, were treated for “non-life-threatening” injuries after the incident.
Keith Lee (18), of Park View Drive, Poppintree Park, Dublin 11, appeared at Blanchardstown District Court on Tuesday charged with an offence under section 53 of dangerous driving causing the death of another person.
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Mr Canney said he this week met representatives of the Road Safety Authority, which will “educate people” and “show them the consequences of doing something that is illegal or something that would distract them”.
The Minister extended his “deep sympathies” to the Lynch family on behalf of his department and the Government.
“What we will endeavour to do is to bring in necessary legislation to deal with issues like this. We will make sure the scramblers are banned off the roads,” he said, adding there was “no need” to drive a scrambler in a residential area.
Mr Canney was speaking on Thursday morning at a Garda road safety campaign in advance of the St Brigid’s bank holiday weekend.
He said more regulations were coming, but the laws already there “are being enforced”. “The message is: please don’t wait to be caught. Get rid of it, use it in a private place ... Make sure that you’re protecting your own life, that of your family and that of your neighbours.
“You are inviting trouble and you’re inviting trouble on your neighbours and your friends. Please respect other people’s lives as well,” he said in a direct appeal to scrambler users.
