Helmet rule for under-18s on e-bikes and fatbikes goes to parliament

The Dutch cabinet wants everyone under 18 on an electric bike, fatbikes included, to wear a helmet. The plan has been sent to parliament, the government said on Friday. The aim is for the rule to start with the next school year, on 1 September 2027.

Who has to wear a helmet

The helmet rule applies to electric bicycles and light electric vehicles, such as fatbikes, electric cargo bikes, e-scooters and the Segway. It covers riders and passengers alike. That means children on the back of an e-bike, and in ordinary electric cargo bikes, will also have to wear a helmet. The amount of the fine is not set yet.

An exception is possible for vehicles where extra safety measures keep the risk of brain injury small, such as the electric minibuses that after-school care (BSO) uses. The vehicle authority RDW will test and designate those vehicles.

Why

Minister Karremans (Infrastructure and Water Management) wants to bring down the sharp rise in brain injuries among young people on e-bikes. “In 2024, young people suffered six times as much brain injury as in 2020. Those are serious figures,” he said. “Sometimes you carry the consequences of a serious accident with you for the rest of your life. Making helmets compulsory reduces the risk of serious injury in a targeted way.”

Cargo bikes and fatbikes

The same decision puts heavy electric cargo bikes, such as the big cargo bikes used in childcare, under the rules for BSO minibuses, and raises the minimum age for riding them from 16 to 18. A plan for fatbikes follows soon: the minister has announced a separate vehicle category for them, which makes a minimum age and fatbike-free zones possible.