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Not helmet requirement for light moped drivers came into force on January 1, it is busy in bicycle shops. For example, helmets are sold en masse or owners spin their light mopeds so they can ride faster.
Entrepreneur Klaasjan Kuiper from Meedhuizen in Groningen has had his hands full in changing direction since the beginning of his service. “I’m one of the few in the area authorized to do this,” he says RTV North. “When I announced that I was being allowed to turn myself in, all hell broke loose. Phone call after phone call after phone call. That’s a lot of work.”
From 25 kilometers to 45 kilometers per hour
The new compulsory helmet applies to mopeds with blue plates which are allowed a maximum of 25 kilometers per hour. The obligation to wear a helmet already existed for mopeds with yellow plates, because they can travel a maximum of 45 kilometers per hour.
For many motorcyclists, this is a reason to have their two-wheeler converted to a moped, in order to get a yellow number plate and thus be allowed to go faster. Kuiper understands that there is a lot of demand for this: “Many people have something like: If I have to ride with a helmet anyway, then I also want to go a little faster.”
Moped specialist Klaasjan Kuiper talks about the crowds in his shop since the introduction of mandatory helmets:
Kuiper’s clientele comes from all over the province: “Meedhuizen is not that big. Most of the people come from Delfzijl or Appingedam, but also from Winschoten and Loppersum.”
Due to the crowds, Kuiper tries to spread out the work a bit. “I’m just here by myself, so if I have to, I put things off. Then I just tell customers to come back another day. Normal work of course will continue. There are still people with a flat tire.”
“Helmets cannot be dragged”
In the Engelvaart Tweewielers scooter shop in Capelle aan den IJssel, too, it often turns around. “Because you are now forced to wear a helmet, many people think it is a waste of time to drive at only 25 kilometers per hour,” says employee Rinus Jans. Radio Capelle. “If you have the moped upside down, you also have to wear a helmet, but then you can go down the road at a maximum speed of 45km/h.”
Also, helmets fly out of the store. “They can’t be dragged,” says Jans. Also, many people call with questions. “We even had people on the phone asking if it was possible to wear a ski helmet or an e-bike helmet on a scooter.”
While the sale is a boost for the company, Jans sees that not all of her clients are equally positive. “Obviously people understand it’s for their own safety, but most clients feel they are being blamed needlessly,” she says. “For example, some have given up on cars to scooter to work due to high energy bills. So this is a bitter pill for some.”
