Belgium's helmet law for e-scooters excludes shared bikes

Belgium's new helmet law for electric scooters, set to take effect on September 1, has drawn criticism from the VIAS traffic institute for its exclusion of shared scooters.

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It is a shame that this helmet obligation is not introduced for all scooters.

While the law requires riders of e-scooters capable of exceeding 20 km/h to wear a helmet, shared scooters, often limited to 20 km/h by operators, are exempt. VIAS spokesperson Stef Willems expressed disappointment, stating, "It is a shame that this helmet obligation is not introduced for all scooters." He emphasized that serious head injuries can still occur in falls at speeds as low as 18 km/h.

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If you ride a shared scooter at 18 km/h and have a bad fall, you can indeed suffer serious head injuries.

VIAS points to hospital data indicating the prevalence of head injuries in severe e-scooter accidents, with 60% of such incidents involving head trauma. The institute suggests that implementing a helmet requirement for shared scooters is feasible, citing international examples where rental helmets are provided at the time of hire. Solutions like special hygienic liners or foldable helmets that meet safety standards and fit in a backpack are already in use abroad.

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Of all serious accidents with an electric scooter, 60 percent involved a head injury.

Mobility organization Touring also urged attention to the safety of shared e-scooters and called for stricter controls on modified scooters that exceed the legal speed limit of 25 km/h, advocating for their removal from traffic.

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There are already countries and cities where they have made helmets mandatory for shared scooters. This is possible with helmets that are made available at the time you rent them.