The Dutch government is taking action to protect children: helmets will soon be mandatory for young electric bike riders.
Children under the age of 18 will be required to wear helmets while riding Fat Bikes or other electric bicycles. Resigned Infrastructure Minister Robert Timan (BBB) announced this decision in response to the significant increase in serious accidents. The law is expected to come into effect in July 2027.
New research conducted by VeiligheidNL has shown alarming figures: between 2020 and 2024, the number of people injured in electric bike accidents who were taken to emergency rooms doubled. Even more concerning is that the number of individuals aged 12 to 18 with brain injuries increased sixfold. Additionally, incidents involving Fat Bikes rose significantly from zero cases in 2020 to 301 cases in 2024.
Although many in the House of Representatives have called for strict rules only on Fat Bikes, such as setting a minimum age and requiring helmet use, new studies have shown that enforcing such rules is nearly impossible. It has been found that attempts to distinguish between Fat Bikes and regular electric bikes based on weight or acceleration speed are impractical, with experts warning that they can be easily circumvented.
Minister Teiman expressed his concern about the increase in injuries and the reckless use of Fat Bikes in public places, saying: "We have all seen how dangerous they are — young people riding fast on sidewalks or illegally on bike paths. The risks are very high. It is time to intervene."
In addition to the helmet mandate, other measures are being implemented, such as banning devices that allow the modification of electric bicycles to illegally increase their speed. The ministry is also working on a behavioral program to educate youth and a quality mark for electric bicycles. The helmet law is likely to later extend to include other light electric vehicles such as electric scooters.