New era for electric scooters in Belgium: Helmet requirement begins

In Belgium, a new regulation aimed at enhancing safety in electric scooter use came into force on September 1. Accordingly, users of electric scooters that can reach speeds above 20 kilometres per hour by design will be required to wear helmets.

Vehicle Capacity, Not Speed Limit, Will Be the Basis

In the new regulation, the helmet requirement will be based on the scooter's maximum technical speed, not the speed it is traveling at that moment.

Therefore, a scooter capable of exceeding 20 kilometres per hour will be subject to the helmet requirement even if used at lower speeds. Electric scooters whose maximum speed does not surpass 20 kilometres per hour will not be required to wear helmets.

Fine for Not Wearing a Helmet

Users will be able to use a moped or bicycle helmet under the new regulation. Those who fail to comply with the helmet requirement will face a €64 fine, plus an additional €10.67 administrative fee.

In Brussels, because the speed of electric scooters is limited to 20 kilometres per hour, shared scooters that cannot exceed this speed will be exempt from helmet requirements.

Belgium has joined the other European countries.

Belgium has joined the group of European countries that require helmets for electric scooter users. Similar helmet rules are also applied in Denmark, Italy and Croatia for electric scooter use.

In the country, the use of electric scooters at speeds over 25 kilometres per hour on public roads had previously been prohibited. As scooter use became increasingly widespread, the number of accidents involving these vehicles also rose.

In Belgium, it was reported that about 2,500 people were injured in accidents involving electric scooters last year.