Having your helmet photographed

June 3, Monday morning … the time has come. Enforcement of the new policy. Scooter riders must wear helmets and must be on the roadway.

Good luck to all traffic participants in Amsterdam. Motorists, cyclists, streetcar and bus drivers, pedestrians and, of course, scooter riders. Because for the latter group, a lot is changing starting today. It seems like a small adjustment, but with just “putting on a helmet,” you’re not there. No, from now on it will be a combination between “Need for speed” and a scavenger hunt. You will be expected to keep up with heavy traffic and constantly changing assignments.

Plate for your head

And that is anything but ideal. Tricky even. We tried it out this week, but before you realize it, you’re driving on the wrong stretch of road. Part automaticity, part confusion. On one stretch, you are still allowed, or rather, required, to ride on the bike path, and a few meters down the road there is a mini sign that says “Moped rider not allowed.” If you really drive downtown, you quickly overlook that little sign. After all, there is much more to watch out for with all the road signs, cars, cyclists and pedestrians coming from all directions. Through the signs, you can’t see the road.

Box office!

And then to make it really exciting, cameras have been installed on certain bike lanes. So if you do accidentally drive on trespassing, you will be “caught.” Yes, they do know how to get stuffy in your helmpie. And we won’t be surprised to find a speuragent on every other corner to still sling you a ticket. Special teams are even deployed!

The fine for riding on a bike path where prohibited and the fine for riding without a helmet where prohibited are both 95 euros. That does not include a 9 euro administrative fee.

Bruising

Some places may have a blue line and arrow indicating that you need to get off the bike path, but say it. You have to be able to shift gears very quickly. You’re driving at quite a bit of speed and suddenly you see that you have to change lanes. Surprise! You’re flying down the road, but you’re not riding alone there.

Safer?

We wonder if this is really going to provide more security…. Or, on the contrary, for a lot of startle reactions, with unwanted effect.
Motorists, by the way, must also adapt. In most places, scooter riders on the roadway cannot be overtaken. Or at least, not in a safe way.

So now let’s hope for nice summer days, so we can all participate in traffic relaxed and in good spirits. Because it does attack our frustration-free driving enjoyment.