Belgian police zones diverge on e-scooter helmet enforcement; rules unclear

Since the start of September, Belgian police zones have applied the mandatory helmet rule for fast e-scooters inconsistently, with Antwerp issuing 406 fines while Turnhout and Mechelen only raise awareness. Officers cite difficulty in visually determining which scooters exceed 20 km/h, and road safety institute Vias criticizes the rule's clarity. The enforcement gap highlights regulatory ambiguity and potential uneven application of traffic law.