Cabinet Works on Fatbike-Specific Rules with Age Limit and Mandatory Helmet for Under-18s

The Dutch government has presented its Aanpak Fatbikes, a package of measures aimed at improving road safety and reducing nuisance from fatbikes. Minister Vincent Karremans of Infrastructure and Water Management announced the plan on Friday, marking a shift from the previous cabinet's position that fatbike-specific rules were legally unworkable.

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What the cabinet is planning

Three main measures form the core of the plan. First, a minimum age for riding a fatbike, to be set after further research this autumn. Second, a legal basis for municipalities to designate fatbike-free zones, giving councils the tools to exclude fatbikes from specific areas such as shopping streets or parks. Third, a mandatory helmet for all riders under 18 on light electric vehicles, including e-bikes and e-steps. The minister expects the helmet requirement could take effect in September 2027.

The exact minimum age is still being determined. According to RTL Nieuws, Karremans is considering a threshold of 12, 14 or 16 years.

Why the government is acting now

Between 2020 and 2024, the number of young people arriving at hospital emergency departments with brain injuries after e-bike accidents increased sixfold. Fatbike-related emergency visits rose from zero in 2020 to 301 in 2024, with more than half of those casualties aged between 12 and 18.

Minister Karremans said: "Many fatbikes cause unsafe traffic situations, nuisance and a worrying rise in accidents among young people. I believe we can no longer afford to wait." He described the approach as pragmatic, adding that "striving for a perfect definition leads to paralysis."

The legal challenge of defining a fatbike

Previous research had concluded three times that fatbike-specific rules were legally unworkable, because manufacturers can quickly adapt their vehicles to fall outside any technical definition and enforcement is complicated. Karremans is now commissioning new research into criteria that could underpin fatbike-specific traffic rules, with results expected this autumn. The RDW vehicle authority is also looking into tightening technical requirements for e-bike components, and stricter enforcement against illegally imported fatbikes is planned in cooperation with Customs, the ILT inspectorate and the NVWA.

The fatbike-free zone problem

Amsterdam and Enschede have already attempted to ban fatbikes from certain areas, but because fatbikes are currently classified in the same legal category as all other electric bikes, these bans lack a firm legal basis. Karremans wants to create that legal basis nationally so that municipalities can act without the risk of their rules being overturned in court.

Reactions

Amsterdam and Den Haag both welcomed the announcement. Amsterdam's mobility alderman said the plans would better protect children. The Fietsersbond cyclists' union remains cautious, warning that a helmet requirement could discourage cycling without addressing underlying behaviour.