A new analysis by BESIP and CDV shows that almost half of injured child cyclists were not wearing a helmet. For children riding e-scooters and scooters, the share was even higher, exceeding 65%.
A new analysis by the BESIP Department of the Ministry of Transport and the Transport Research Centre (CDV) shows that helmet use among children riding bicycles and other personal mobility devices is still far from universal. Between January 2023 and June 2026, police recorded 1,748 crashes involving cyclists under the age of 15. Two children were killed, 65 suffered serious injuries and another 1,286 sustained minor injuries.
Of the 1,353 injured child cyclists, 613 (45.3%) were not wearing a protective helmet. The situation was significantly worse among children using micromobility devices. 65.3% of injured children on e-scooters and 67.8% of those on conventional scooters were not wearing a helmet. Among e-bike users, the share was 62.5%, compared with 37.1% among children riding conventional bicycles.
The data also point to the growing importance of e-scooters in child road safety. The number of injured children on e-scooters has already surpassed the number injured on conventional scooters. The analysis is based solely on crashes recorded by the Police of the Czech Republic, meaning that the actual number of child injuries may be higher, particularly in less serious crashes that are not always reported to the police.
Most of the recorded crashes occurred in built-up areas, particularly on local roads. The findings therefore highlight the importance of prevention and road safety education for children. A helmet is a simple and effective safety measure that can significantly reduce the severity of injuries in the event of a fall or collision.
Read the full press release on the website of the Ministry of Transport.