Helmets mandatory for fast electric scooters in Belgium

The Belgian government is making helmet use mandatory for users of motorized personal mobility devices whose maximum speed, as determined by construction, exceeds 20 km/h. The measure is established by the Royal Decree of August 27, 2026, regarding the safety of users of motorized personal mobility devices, published in the Belgian Official Gazette (No. 194) on August 31, 2026, page 47304, under reference C-2026/005471, and comes into effect on September 1, 2026.

A response to the rise in accidents

The decree amends the Royal Decree of December 1, 1975, concerning the general regulations of road traffic police, and the Royal Decree of June 3, 2024, regarding the Highway Code. It is based on the road safety barometer of the Vias Institute, which shows a continuous increase in casualties among electric scooter users.

• The number of accidents with injuries rose from 1,735 to 2,453 between 2022 and 2025.
• The number of deaths rose from 4 to 13 between 2024 and 2025.
• For accidents recorded by the Antwerp police zone in 2024 and 2025, 66% and then 68% concerned private scooters, compared to only 9% and 13% for shared scooters.

An action plan dedicated to monitoring the electric scooter market has already been approved by ministers Crucke, Clarinval, and Beenders, in order to strengthen coordination between authorities and prevent the circulation of non-compliant devices.

The choice between two types of helmets

As with speed-pedelecs, drivers and passengers of these devices have the choice between a moped helmet or a bicycle helmet that protects the temples and the back of the head. The obligation is limited to devices exceeding 20 km/h, as studies show that beyond this speed, the biomechanical load exerted on the head during falls increases significantly, and a reduction from 25 to 20 km/h has a positive impact on hospitalizations.

Targeted exemptions

The measure distinguishes between several risk profiles. Shared scooters, limited to 20 km/h under their license granted by the municipal authority, are exempt from the obligation, as their users cannot adjust the speed themselves. Persons with reduced mobility using motorized mobility devices exclusively intended for them are also exempt, as these devices rarely exceed 15 km/h.

The decree, signed in Brussels on August 27, 2026, by the Minister of Mobility J.-L. Crucke and Secretary of State R. Beenders, is executed by the minister responsible for Road Traffic.

A targeted protection measure

By limiting the helmet-wearing requirement to the fastest vehicles, the legislator seeks a balance between protecting the physical integrity of users and the principle of proportionality, taking into account divergent risk profiles. This differentiated approach aims to target the measure at situations where it offers the best cost-effectiveness in terms of safety, without nullifying the modal shift already underway toward more sustainable modes of transport that are better suited to the urban context.

Official source: Moniteur belge, No. 194, August 31, 2026, p. 47304 — Royal Decree of August 27, 2026, regarding the safety of users of motorized displacement vehicles, reference C-2026/005471.