Overview

• Demissionary minister Robert Tieman announced a proposal to require riders under 18 to wear a helmet on any electric bicycle, including fatbikes.
• Officials are also examining whether a similar age-based helmet rule should cover other light electric vehicles such as e-steps.
• The plan is part of a broader package featuring a behavioral approach to curb risky riding, expansion of the '’t kan hard gaan' safety campaign, and explicit support for an industry safety keurmerk.
• Independent studies cited by the ministry conclude that fatbike-only regulation is unworkable due to easy product redesigns, enforcement limits, lack of evidence of higher inherent risk, and overlap with other e-vehicle types.
• VeiligheidNL reports a doubling of e-bike emergency department cases since 2020, a sixfold rise in brain injuries among 12–18-year-olds, and fatbike cases increasing from 0 in 2020 to 301 in 2024.