It is striking that owners between the ages of 16 and 17 were the most likely to have their moped converted and re-inspected into a moped.
The Dutch moped landscape has changed dramatically in a year, according to new figures from Statistics Netherlands (CBS). Between July 1, 2022 and July 1, 2023, the total number of mopeds fell by almost 76.000 to 705.000. This decline is in sharp contrast to the rise of the moped, which showed a growth of almost 60.000 units to a total of 479.000, an increase of 14 percent compared to the previous year.
An important driver for this shift is the introduction of a mandatory helmet requirement for moped riders on January 1, 2023. Since then, owners have the option to have their moped converted into a moped at recognized garages or companies, an option that was previously only available at an RDW -inspection station. This measure has resulted in a significant increase in the number of conversion inspections. In the period between July 1, 2022 and July 1, 2023, more than 40.000 mopeds were converted to mopeds, with the maximum speed being adjusted from 25 km/h to 45 km/h. This is almost a thirteenfold increase compared to the same period a year earlier.
The mandatory helmet requirement for mopeds has resulted in young people en masse converting their proud possession into a moped.
Sales of new mopeds have also fallen sharply, with a decline of 57 percent within the same period. It CBS also points to a general trend: the total group of vehicles with a moped license plate, including scooters, mopeds, microcars and other similar vehicles, grew by 9 percent in the past three years to 1,2 million on July 1, 2023. However, this growth is mainly due to the moped, because compared to a year earlier, the group of vehicles with a moped license plate shrank by more than one percent.
It is mainly young people who make the switch. The data shows that 95 percent of the 33.000 converted mopeds were registered to a private individual on January 1, 2023. It is striking that owners between the ages of 16 and 17 were the most likely to have their moped converted and re-inspected into a moped. Almost one in eight moped owners in this age category chose this option. It also appears that the majority of converted mopeds, about 94 percent, run on petrol.
