Minister of Mobility Jean-Luc Crucke (Les Engagés) wants to introduce a mandatory helmet law for users of e-scooters exceeding 20 kilometers per hour and has drafted a royal decree to that end. His goal is clear: to save lives.
Emergency doctors have long been advocating for a helmet mandate, and now politicians are following suit. The rule is set to take effect from September. A helmet is strongly recommended for electric bicycle users, but it is not currently mandatory.
Head trauma
Last year, thirteen people died in Belgium in accidents involving electric scooters. Two-thirds of the injured who ended up in hospital after such an accident suffered head trauma. Only four percent of those victims were wearing helmets.
The helmet requirement will apply to so-called ‘motorized personal mobility devices’ capable of exceeding 20 kilometers per hour. These include electric scooters, Segways, hoverboards, and monowheels. It will, in principle, also apply to shared e-scooters, but by limiting their speed to 20 kilometers per hour, they can circumvent the helmet requirement.
Limited speed
That is why Minister Crucke has entered into agreements with the sector to limit shared e-scooters to 20 kilometers per hour, thereby allowing them to circumvent the helmet requirement. In Denmark, similar legislation has dealt a blow to the sector, and Crucke wants to avoid that.
The number of injury accidents involving e-scooters increased by 33.7 percent nationwide between 2024 and 2025. The number of victims increased almost proportionally (plus 30.6 percent).
Total head protection
While the number of fatal casualties among vulnerable road users is falling nationwide, the number of deaths among e-scooter riders has risen sharply: from four in 2024 to thirteen in 2025. The helmet mandate is intended to reduce this again.
Experts believe that a full-face helmet would be even better. The injuries from a fall on an e-scooter are generally different from those on a bicycle and are more often concentrated around the jaw.
Therefore, one should have a helmet that protects the entire head. Some even plead for a mandatory helmet for everyone operating an assisted vehicle: bicycles, scooters, fat bikes… Then at least it is clear to everyone.
