Fatbikes cause nearly 100 accidents in one week, Dutch hospitals claim

Almost half of them involve kids. 😟

In early October, doctors from 82 Dutch hospitals compared the numbers of fatbike accidents recorded across their emergency rooms (ERs) — and the results are… concerning.

As RTL reports, the data points to nearly 100 accidents per week.

This confirms a long-held suspicion: the Netherlands has a fatbike problem. 😬

Let’s talk numbers

According to data collected by participating doctors, a total of 1,291 people were admitted to the emergency room after bicycle accidents during the first week of October.

While most accidents involved traditional bikes without pedal assistance (715) or regular electric bikes (480), 96 of them involved fatbikes.

READ NEXT | Everything you need to know about bike insurance in the Netherlands

Given that there are significantly fewer fatbikes on the streets compared to regular (e-)bikes, these numbers are alarmingly high. Even more concerning is that nearly half of the accidents involved children aged 12 to 15.

As expected, accidents involving fatbikes also tend to result in more severe injuries, with fatbikers requiring hospitalisation 22% more often than regular cyclists.

We have a problem

A quick math exercise is enough to paint a pretty bleak picture.

“Assuming this week was an average week, the rough estimate is that 5,000 fat bikers are treated in the ER each year,” the spokesperson for VeiligheidNL tells RTL.

READ MORE | Companies are making ‘skinny’ bikes to bypass Dutch fatbike restrictions

That is a far cry from the estimates from previous data: last year, the recorded victims of fatbike accidents were just 75.

The new data, then, confirms the urgency of restricting fatbike use by imposing a helmet requirement and an age limit, as recently planned by the cabinet.

The government has given Minister of Transport Barry Madlener until Christmas to officialise these plans.

Do you think we need stricter regulations for fatbikes? Share your thoughts in the comments.

Feature Image:DutchReview
Beatrice Scali 🇮🇹
Beatrice Scali 🇮🇹
Five years after spreading her wings away from her beloved Genova, Bia has just landed at DutchReview as an editorial intern. She has lived in China, Slovenia, Taiwan, and — natuurlijk — the Netherlands, where she just completed her bachelor’s in International Studies. When she’s not reciting unsolicited facts about the countries she’s lived in, she is writing them down. Her biggest dreams include lobbying the Dutch government into forcing oliebollen stands to operate year-round, and becoming a journalist. In this order.

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