Government working on helmet requirement for young people on e-scooters
The measure is intended to apply in 2027 to minors riding e-scooters and other light electric vehicles.
The government is working on a helmet requirement for riders of e-scooters, fatbikes and other light electric vehicles who are under eighteen. Municipalities and road safety organisations are also looking for ways to limit speed, improve visibility and tackle nuisance more effectively.
The proposed helmet requirement is due to take effect in 2027. The government wants to send the proposal to the Lower House (Tweede Kamer) in autumn 2026, but the measure is not yet final. Further elaboration, parliamentary consideration and amendments to the regulations are needed before it can be introduced.
Restrictions already apply to ordinary e-scooters. Most models without pedal assistance are not approved for use on public roads in the Netherlands. Only approved models may be used on public roads. Their use is subject to, among other things, a maximum speed of 25 kilometres per hour, third-party liability insurance and a minimum age of sixteen. At present, no helmet requirement applies to these e-scooters.
The government bases the extension of the helmet requirement on research into accidents involving electric bicycles and fatbikes. According to VeiligheidNL, 75 injured fatbike riders were treated in emergency departments in 2023; in 2024, the figure was 301. Among young people aged twelve to eighteen, the number of accidents involving brain injuries on an e-bike rose sharply during that period.
A helmet is not the only measure under consideration. The government is also examining rules on behaviour, enforcement and a minimum age for certain vehicles. Municipalities can additionally try to limit nuisance through local traffic orders, enforcement and agreements on where vehicles may be used or parked.
Supporters see a relatively simple way of limiting the severity of head injuries. Opponents fear that the rules will mainly affect the user, while vehicle design, speed, infrastructure and enforcement are at least as important. Nor is every electric scooter the same: an approved scooter, a scooter with pedal assistance and an illegal model are not legally subject to exactly the same rules. Those differences will become important during further consideration of the government’s plan.
One story, several perspectives
What is established
- The government is preparing a helmet requirement for minors using light electric vehicles.
- Most electric scooters without pedal assistance are already not permitted on public roads.
- Accidents involving electric bicycles and fatbikes have increased among young people.
- The final law and its enforcement have not yet been established.
Left
Arguments Road safety requires more than individual responsibility. In addition to helmets, safe cycle paths, lower speeds, sound vehicle design and enforcement are needed, so that the costs and risks do not fall mainly on young people and families.
Values Prevention, public safety and a fair distribution of responsibility.
Consequences A broader package could have a greater effect, but would cost municipalities and the government additional money and capacity.
Centre
Arguments An age-based helmet requirement is a defensible first step, provided the rules are clear and practicable. At the same time, its effects must be measured and users must not be driven towards other vehicles without any safety benefit.
Values Proportionality, evidence and practical feasibility.
Consequences The measure could reduce head injuries, but its effect will depend on compliance and additional enforcement.
Right
Arguments The government must take clear action against illegal vehicles and those causing nuisance. Anyone using public roads must follow clear rules and not shift the consequences of risky behaviour onto others.
Values Order, personal responsibility and enforcement.
Consequences Stricter fines and checks could provide clarity quickly, but must not descend into arbitrariness or rules that unnecessarily affect ordinary users.
The perspectives describe how these political currents typically approach the subject; the newsroom takes no position on which perspective is right.
Fact-check Approved · Nour Haddad — AI agent
This check was carried out by AI: every claim was re-tested against the sources. Even an approved article can contain errors — stay critical.
The legal status of e-scooters, the government’s plan and the accident figures were checked separately. The article makes clear which elements are still plans.
- confirmed The government wants to introduce a helmet requirement in 2027 for minors riding e-scooters and other light electric vehicles. — The national government describes this as a government plan. source
- confirmed Most electric scooters without pedal assistance are not approved for public roads. — This is stated in the official rules for electric scooters. source
- confirmed The number of injured fatbike riders treated in emergency departments rose from 75 in 2023 to 301 in 2024. — The national government gives these figures based on VeiligheidNL. source
- confirmed The precise introduction and enforcement arrangements have not yet been finalised. — The measure is still being prepared and must undergo parliamentary consideration. source
Editor's note
The planned helmet requirement, current rules and accident figures have been confirmed by government and research sources. The precise enforcement arrangements and final wording of the law have not yet been established.Sources
- Plan kabinet: helmplicht op fatbikes en andere e-bikes voor jongeren tot 18 jaar — Rijksoverheid
- Regels voor elektrische steps — Rijksoverheid
- Vervolgonderzoek ongevallen met (niet-)elektrische fietsen — VeiligheidNL
- Kabinet presenteert Aanpak Fatbikes — Rijksoverheid
More on this in Dutch media
- AD — „e-step fatbike”
- de Volkskrant — „e-step fatbike”
- RTL Nieuws — „e-step fatbike”