The Dutch city of Houten is testing a speed limit of 20 on bicycle paths. (symbol image)Imago
June 15, 2026, 11:52 amJune 15, 2026, 11:52 am
In the Dutch town of Houten, near Utrecht, a speed limit of 20 km/h for bicycles will be tested in June. With the pilot test, the government in The Hague wants to examine measures to combat the increasing number of accidents.
In 2024, around 80,000 cyclists in the Netherlands ended up in hospital after accidents. 281 people who were cycling died in an accident. That is 14 percent more than in the previous year. That’s what he reports Guardian.
The Dutch government classifies the state of road safety for cyclists as “worrying,” wrote the Frankfurter Rundschau. According to a report, the increase in e-bikes in particular is leading to “a feeling of insecurity”. In response, various measures are now to be tested. This also applies to the speed limit of 20 in Houten.
Speed limit signs were put up on Monday on the Fossa Iberica, a 130 meter long street in the center of Houten. Cameras were installed last week to record the initial situation. Researchers are now investigating the effect of the signs on the driving behavior of cyclists, writes the Guardian.
Thousands of bicycles pass through the Fossa Iberica every day. Not all drivers welcome the new regulation. “It’s just about people on motorized bicycles. “Make a law for them and not for everyone,” a woman tells the Dutch broadcaster NPO.
Jan-Peter Westein from the Fietsersbond Houten cycling association was somewhat more pleased with the Guardian. Almost all primary schools would be located on the bike paths. “And you don’t want parents taking their children to school by car because it’s not safe,” he tells the newspaper.
Anyone who drives faster than the specified 20 km/h will not be fined. Simply for the reason that normal bicycles neither have a license plate to identify the handlebars nor a speedometer to check the speed.
In addition to the speed limit, other laws have already been introduced or are being planned. Wide-wheeled bicycles are banned in Amsterdam and Enschede and the government in The Hague is planning to introduce a helmet requirement for e-bike riders under 18. In September Amsterdam will also test the speed limit of 20. (Nile)