Minister Robert Tieman (Infrastructure and Water Management) reports this to the House of Representatives. The House wanted a helmet requirement 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 unfeasible.

Minister Tieman: “I am very concerned about the fatbike. The latest figures show that in 2024, six times as many young people ended up in the emergency room with brain injuries on electric bikes. We all know these stories and have often been shocked ourselves by a fatbiker who sped over the sidewalk or rode illegally fast on the bike path. I think it is important to intervene, and I will do so with feasible measures. Therefore, I am focusing on an age-related helmet requirement, a behavioral approach, and a quality mark.”

In addition to the existing approach against tuning e-bikes, the ministry will work on three additional measures.

The age-related helmet requirement includes an adjustment of the regulations. To prevent a shift effect, a helmet requirement for all light electric vehicles (such as e-scooters) is also being considered. The aim is to send the draft regulations to the House of Representatives in the fall of 2026.

Furthermore, the ministry is investigating whether the nuisance caused by electric bikes can be reduced with a behavioral approach. They will look into what determines unwanted behavior and based on that, consider what effective measures can be. Additionally, the ministry will try to increase the reach of the existing campaign “it can go fast,” for example, by explicitly reminding municipalities of this.

Finally, the ministry expresses explicit support for the quality mark for electric bikes that the sector is currently developing. Where possible, the ministry is willing to support in areas such as concretization, elaboration, and publicity. The quality mark can provide consumers, enforcers, and manufacturers with more clarity about which bikes are safe.

Minister Tieman indicates that more measures are possible, such as introducing a minimum age for e-bike riders or type approval for e-bikes. Introducing a minimum age requires a legislative change: this takes about two years and requires a majority in the House of Representatives. Introducing type approval brings various difficulties, such as the fact that it would only apply in the Netherlands and the question of what happens to existing e-bikes.

For the third time, independent research shows that it is unfeasible to create separate rules for fatbikes and other e-bikes. The researchers give four reasons for this:

1. When regulations for only fatbikes are introduced, manufacturers can quickly adjust their vehicles so that they fall under the regulations for normal e-bikes.
2. Enforcement is technically too complex, it is inaccurate, and it requires equipment that is currently not available.
3. There is no evidence that a fatbike is more dangerous than other electric bikes: the heavier weight and faster acceleration due to higher pedal assistance do not necessarily lead to more accidents.
4. New regulations for fatbikes almost always also affect other electric bikes, such as electric cargo bikes and tricycles.

At the request of the ministry, VeiligheidNL investigated how many emergency room victims there have been among electric bikers. VeiligheidNL states that between 2020 and 2024, the number of emergency room victims among electric bikers has doubled. In the age group of 12 to 18 years, the number of e-bike riders with brain injuries has increased sixfold, and the number of emergency room victims on fatbikes has risen (from 0 in 2020 to 301 in 2024).

The ministry is concerned about these figures and will continue to focus on tackling the tuning of electric bikes. It has already been prohibited to have a device on an electric bike that can circumvent controls. Enforcement has already been intensified, and the aforementioned three measures should contribute to a shift in the accident figures.