Last year, almost 81,000 cyclists reported to hospital emergency departments after an accident, up 9% on 2024 and a quarter more than 10 years ago, according to figures from road safety group VeiligheidNL quoted by the AD.

Two-thirds of them had serious injuries, including broken bones, concussion and skull fractures, and two-thirds of the accidents did not involve anyone else. In 14,400 cases, the injury was to the cyclist’s head.

VeiligheidNL says the increasing popularity of electric bikes is behind the rise, and the number of accidents involving traditional bikes is stable. Four in 10 victims were over the age of 55. Older people not only cycle longer distances but sometimes overestimate their own skills, particularly men, the AD said.

Last week, it emerged that 281 cyclists were killed in traffic accidents in 2025, and 118 of them were over the age of 70.

The figures coincide with the launch of a new campaign to encourage people to wear helmets while cycling. The government wants 25% of cyclists to wear a helmet by 2035, but the current figure is around 5%. Around 25% of the over-75s already do so.

Marcel Aries from campaign group Artsen voor Veilig Fietsen (doctors for safe cycling) says wearing a helmet cuts the risk of a serious head injury by 60% and a fatal head injury by 71%. His organisation supports compulsory helmets for e-bike users under the age of 18.

Traffic safety body SWOV also supports more use of helmets which, said spokeswoman Wendy Wijermars, “can mean the difference between life and death”.

However, she warned, helmets do not prevent accidents. “Good, safe cycle paths remain essential,” she said.

The Dutch cycling union Fietsersbond does now recommend helmets for the over-70s but remains opposed to general helmet use. It argues that helmets place too much responsibility for accidents on cyclists rather than motorists and infrastructure.

“We all want our friends and family to come home safely by bike,” director Esther van Garderen said earlier this month. “And that requires tough measures – investing in safer infrastructure for cyclists and pedestrians and lower speeds for motorised traffic.”