Fines for not wearing a helmet almost double since 2017

Almost 17,000 fines were issued last year to people not wearing a helmet on a motorcycle, moped, scooter or bike with a pedal-assist function –– 6 percent more than two years ago. The number of fines has been on the rise for years and has almost doubled compared to 2017, according to an analysis by ANP/LocalFocus based on figures from the Central Judicial Collection Agency (CJIB).

The increase in the past few years can partly be explained by the introduction of a helmet requirement for moped riders in Amsterdam and Utrecht. More and more people are caught on a moped without a helmet, but the number of fines is also increasing for other riders. In total, people paid more than 1.7 million euros last year in fines for not wearing a helmet.

The number of fines handed out to people who did not wear a helmet increased nationally last year, but regionally there was a decrease in many places. Fewer fines were handed out in Drenthe (-31 percent), Overijssel (-23 percent) and Gelderland (-21 percent), among others. Within the 20 largest municipalities, considerably more fines were handed out in Rotterdam and The Hague. In Rotterdam, the number of fines almost doubled compared to 2020, while in The Hague there was an increase of 150 percent.

As a driver or co-driver of a motorcycle or moped, it is mandatory to wear a helmet. This is not the case on a moped, unless it is driven on the road. This will change from this autumn or Jan. 1, 2023 and moped riders will also have to wear helmets, even when they ride on the bicycle path. There is no helmet requirement for people who ride an electric bicycle.

For people who wear helmets on motorcycles, there is almost 70 percent less chance of serious head injury and about 40 percent less risk of fatal injury, according to SWOV, a road safety research agency. It is not known exactly what the safety effect is of a helmet on a moped. Such a helmet must meet the same requirements, although a moped drives more slowly.