The Netherlands sees significant spike in bike accidents

The number of cycling accidents in the Netherlands has seen a significant increase in the past year. With almost 81.000 cyclists ending up in the emergency room with serious injuries, support for mandatory helmet use is growing.  

More cyclists involved in traffic accidents in the Netherlands

Based on recent figures from VeiligheidNL, in 2025, 80.900 cyclists found themselves in the emergency room after a traffic accident - 9 percent higher than the year before. Casualties are also on the rise, shooting up by 25 percent over the past 10 years. 

According to a Statistics Netherlands (CBS) report, cyclists are the most frequent victims of fatal traffic accidents. 281 of the total 759 traffic fatalities in 2025 were cyclists, 35 percent more than in 2024 and the highest level since 2007. The CBS attributes the increase to the rising popularity of e-bikes.

While it may be easy to blame other cyclists or drivers for the rise in accidents, only a quarter of incidents involved a collision. Two-thirds of bicycle accidents involved just a single road user, by falling for example, reports AD. 

Only 5 percent of Dutch cyclists wear helmets

Of the near 81.000 serious injuries from cycling, more than 14.000 were head injuries. This is why VeiligheidNL is emphasising the importance of helmet use, especially among children and the elderly.

“Wearing a bicycle helmet reduces the risk of fatal head injury by 71 percent and the risk of serious head injury by 60 percent in the event of a collision or fall,” writes VeiligheidNL. While 25 percent of cyclists over the age of 75 now wear helmets, only 5 percent of all cyclists in the Netherlands use head protection. 

"High school students and people in their 20s hardly wear a helmet," said Marcel Aries of Doctors for Safe Cycling (AvvF). For this reason, AvvF is in favour of the Dutch government introducing a mandatory helmet measure for e-bike users under the age of 18, something it plans to do from 2027. 

Support for mandatory helmet use while cycling is growing

AvvF isn’t the only organisation that supports mandatory helmet use while cycling. Road safety institute SWOV also believes it is a good idea. "A helmet can literally mean the difference between life and death," said SWOV member Wendy Weijermars.

Residents themselves are also becoming more supportive of a helmet requirement. "More than half of young people are in favour, according to recent research. Among parents, that percentage is much higher."

However, the Cyclists’ Union believes the new helmet campaign by VeiligheidNL puts too much responsibility on the cyclist, emphasising that safe roads and cycle paths remain an important factor in preventing accidents from happening in the first place.

Weijermars maintains that a helmet is an obvious choice. “A bicycle remains a balance vehicle, and people make mistakes. Even with safe infrastructure, you cannot eliminate all accidents. Moreover, it takes years to make all cycle paths and intersections safer.”