Parents ordered to pay €1,700 after Amsterdam boy crashes e-bike into van

The parents of a then 11-year-old boy must pay 1,700 euros in damages for an accident he caused while riding an electric bike in Amsterdam Nieuw-West two years ago, the court ruled. The boy collided with a van when he was supposed to give way.

The accident happened on 9 June 2022. The van was driving toward Sam van Houtenstraat over Gerda Brautigamstraat. Road traffic has priority on that street, which is indicated by signs and on the cycle path. Yet the boy crossed without giving way to the van.

The boy collided with the right front of the black van, damaging the hood, front bumper, and license plate. The damages cost 3,413.18 euros to repair.

The court ruled that the boy’s parents, as his legal guardians, are responsible for half of the damages. According to the judge, the driver of the van could have seen that the cyclist was very young and better anticipated a mistake from him.

The parents still have to pay half of the damage because, according to the court, they bought an electric bicycle for their young son, knowing that this entails significant traffic risks. The court ordered them to pay 1,706.59 euros in damages, plus 255.00 euros for extrajudicial collection costs.