Belgium introduced a new federal helmet requirement for electric scooter riders on September 1, 2026. The requirement applies to e-scooters with a maximum design speed exceeding 20 km/h, based on the vehicle’s design speed rather than its actual riding speed.

Under the new rules, riders must wear either a moped helmet or a bicycle helmet that provides adequate protection for the temples and the back of the head.

Belgian regulations limit e-scooters on public roads to a maximum design speed of 25 km/h. Consequently, the new requirement primarily applies to e-scooters with a design speed between 20 km/h and 25 km/h. Most shared e-scooters are unaffected, as operators have already limited their maximum speed to 20 km/h or below.

In the Brussels-Capital Region, shared e-scooters were originally scheduled to be banned from operation from January 1, 2027. On August 21, the Brussels Government announced a transitional arrangement allowing shared e-scooters to continue operating through the end of 2026. However, the scheduled ban from January 1, 2027, remains unchanged.

The Belgian Government said the new measure is intended to improve the safety of e-scooter users. According to the Vias Institute, Belgium recorded 2,453 injury crashes involving e-scooters in 2025, a 33.7% increase from 2024. The number of fatalities rose from four in 2024 to 13 in 2025.

Separate statistics from Statbel, which use a 30-day post-crash mortality standard, recorded 15 e-scooter user fatalities in 2025, compared with four in 2024. The discrepancy between the 13 and 15 fatalities is primarily due to differences in statistical definitions.

Riders who fail to wear a helmet as required face a €64 fine, plus an additional €10.67 administrative surcharge. Federal Mobility Minister Jean-Luc Crucke said the helmet requirement is part of broader government efforts to improve road safety, with continued enforcement against speeding, drink-driving and distracted riding.

Photo: LEVA-EU