News item | 28-08-2025 | 13:00
Minister Tieman wants to introduce a helmet obligation for children up to the age of 18 who ride an electric bicycle, such as a fatbike. In addition, a behavioral approach is used for drivers of electric bicycles and on a quality mark for electric bicycles. The helmet obligation may be extended to other light electric vehicles, such as the e-Step.
Minister Robert Tieman (Infrastructure and Water Management) reports this to the House of Representatives. The House of Representatives wanted a helmet obligation and a minimum age for drivers of only Fatbikes. The proposal was to distinguish fatbikes from e-bikes based on their weight and/or torque. However, independent research shows that this is impracticable.
Minister Tieman: “I am very worried about the Fatbike. The last figures show that in 2024 six times as many young people on the electric bicycle on the emergency room ended up with brain injury. We all know these stories, and are often shocked by a fatbiker who tore over the sidewalk or who loudly leaning it, I think Ga ikpad is gang on it. I like an age -related helmet obligation, on a behavioral approach and on a quality mark. ”
Three additional measures
In addition to the existing approach against the increase of e-bikes, the ministry will start working with three additional measures.
The age -related helmet obligation includes an adjustment of the regulations. To prevent a shift effect, an age-related helmet obligation for all light electric vehicles (for example the E-Step) is also considered. The aim is to send the regulations in a draft to the Lower House in the autumn of 2026.
In addition, the ministry is investigating whether the nuisance of electric bicycles can be reduced with a behavioral approach. It will be investigated what the unwanted behavior determines, based on that, we look at what effective measures can be. In addition, the ministry will try to increase the reach of the existing campaign ” t can hard ‘, for example by explicitly pointing out this by municipalities.
Finally, the ministry expresses explicit support for the quality mark of electric bicycles that the sector is currently developing. Where possible, the ministry is willing to support, for example, concretization, elaboration and publicity. The quality mark can give consumers, enforcers and producers more clarity about which bicycles are safe.
Minister Tieman indicates that more measures are possible, such as entering a minimum age for e-bike managers or a type approval for e-bikes. Introduction of a minimum age requires a change in the law: this takes about two years and requires a majority of the House of Representatives. Introduction of a type approval entails various difficulties, such as the fact that this only applies in the Netherlands and the question of what happens with the existing e-bikes.
A shillless road
For the third time, independent research shows that it is impracticable to make separate rules for Fatbikes and other e-bikes. The researchers give four reasons for this:
- When regulations for only Fatbikes are entered, manufacturers can quickly adjust their vehicles in such a way that they fall under the regulations for normal e-bikes.
- Enforcement is technically too complex, it is inaccurate and it requires equipment that is currently not available.
- There is no evidence that a fatbike is more dangerous than other electric bicycles: the heavier weight and being able to accelerate faster due to higher pedal support do not necessarily cause more accidents.
- New regulations for Fatbikes almost always affect other electric bicycles, such as electric cargo bikes and triple bikes.
Tackle stuffed bicycles
For the Ministry, SafetyNL investigated how many emergency room victims have fallen among electric cyclists. SafetyNL indicates that between 2020 and 2024 the number of emergency room victims among electric cyclists has doubled. In the age group aged 12 to 18, the number of drivers of e-bikes with brain injury has been filled, the number of emergency room victims on Fatbikes has increased (from 0 in 2020 to 301 in 2024).
The ministry is worried about these figures and therefore continues to focus on the approach against the increase of electric bicycles. Earlier it was forbidden to have a facility on an electric bicycle that can be bypassed controls. Enforcement has already been intensified and the above three measures must contribute to a change in the accident figures.