{
  "id": 3988374,
  "title": "Belgium makes helmets compulsory on faster e-scooters",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/28/belgium-makes-helmets-compulsory-on-faster-e-scooters",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-08-28T14:47:39.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Politico EU",
    "slug": "politico-eu",
    "url": "https://www.politico.eu/article/belgium-makes-helmets-required-for-faster-e-scooters/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Belgium will make helmets mandatory for riders of faster e-scooters starting September 1, according to the federal mobility ministry. The new regulation applies to motorized personal transport devices with a maximum design speed exceeding 20 kilometres per hour, regardless of the actual speed at which they are being ridden. Riders can wear either a moped helmet or a bicycle helmet, as long as it covers the temples and the back of the head. The ministry cited growing evidence of serious injuries from e-scooter accidents, noting that head and brain injuries are particularly common in severe and fatal crashes involving electric scooters. Currently, Belgium allows e-scooters with a maximum speed of 25 km/h on public roads, and the new mandate targets models capable of reaching speeds between 20 and 25 km/h. The Brussels government recently lifted its ban on shared e-scooters from city streets as of September 2026, allowing them to operate until the end of the year. Belgium previously implemented stricter e-scooter rules in 2022, prohibiting riders under 16, passengers, and those who ride on the pavement, and introducing new parking restrictions.",
  "summary": "The mandate targets models capable of going between 20 and 25 km/h, citing head-injury risks.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}