All moped riders and their passengers must wear a helmet from 1 January 2023.
From 1 January 2023 it will be mandatory in the Netherlands to wear a helmet on a scooter. This decision was taken by the Dutch government to increase road safety. They do good business in the scooter shops because many customers quickly buy a helmet.
Safety comes first, but what is a scooter helmet? To get straight to the point: according to the law there is no difference. You can step on both the motorcycle and the scooter with any helmet, provided it has been approved according to the ECE 22.05 quality mark.
quality mark
Because there is only one quality mark in the field of helmets, there is no distinction between motorcycle helmets and scooter helmets. Wearing a helmet is not only mandatory for the driver, but also for any passengers. It is therefore advisable to buy a helmet for everyone.
There are different types of helmets available on the market. The helmet must meet European safety standards and be approved by the National Institute for Safety and the Environment (RIVM). It is also advisable to choose a helmet that is comfortable and fits well so that it is easy to wear while riding.
security
The expectation is that the number of road fatalities and injuries among light moped riders will fall with helmets being compulsory. There are several reasons for the increase in the number of road deaths and injuries among moped riders. An important cause is the increasing use of light mopeds as a means of transport. More and more people use mopeds as an alternative to the car or public transport, which leads to more mopeds on the road.
As of January 1, 2023, wearing an approved moped/motorcycle helmet or an approved speed pedelec helmet on a moped is a legal requirement everywhere in the Netherlands and you can be fined €100 if you do not wear a helmet.
An approved moped/motorcycle helmet can be recognized by a circle with a capital E in it. There is a number after the E, and each number represents an EU country. In the Netherlands, approved helmets are given the number 4. An approved speed pedelec helmet is marked in accordance with NTA 8776:2016.
unchanged on bike path
Light-moped riders are now allowed to use the bike path. Even after 1 January 2023 moped riders will continue to use cycle paths. Until then, a helmet is only mandatory in places where the light moped is moved to the roadway. In Amsterdam and Utrecht moped riders must use the road (a helmet is already compulsory there). And the other rules for moped riders will not change either. The maximum speed of 25 kilometers per hour also remains.
