From 3 June, people under the age of 16 using bicycles and electric scooters will be required to wear helmets. Failure to do so may result in a PLN 100 fine. This is another regulation aimed at improving the protection of underage users of two-wheelers, as accidents involving them still occur too frequently. Experts stress, however, that regulations alone are not enough and that practical safety education is also needed.
“In 2025, we recorded nearly 6,000 incidents involving cyclists and electric scooter users, including almost 1,100 accidents involving people under the age of 17,” Superintendent Emilia Kosma, an expert from the Social Prevention Department of the Prevention Bureau at the National Police Headquarters, told Newseria.
Data from the National Police Headquarters show that some of these incidents were caused by underage cyclists — 221 people aged 0–17 — and electric scooter users — 596 people aged 7–17. The highest number of accidents involving them is recorded by the police during the summer holidays, the start of which coincides with the entry into force of the helmet requirement.
The Ministry of Infrastructure points out that head injuries account for one-third of all injuries suffered by electric scooter users, while riding without a helmet increases the risk of serious head trauma, including traumatic brain injury. Data from the European Trendline report, co-financed by the European Union, indicate that in Poland only half of cyclists under the age of 14 wear helmets, as do almost one-quarter of those aged 15 and over. These are among the lowest rates in the European Union.
“Unfortunately, Poles are not at the top of the list of EU countries whose citizens willingly use helmets. That is why it is very important to educate children, but also adults, on how to behave safely during physical activity,” said Justyna Rysiak, president of the MultiSport Foundation.
The helmet requirement is another regulation intended to strengthen the protection of underage users of two-wheelers. In March this year, new rules were introduced banning children under the age of 13 from using electric scooters outside residential zones and without adult supervision.
“We believe that the regulations will have a real impact on safety, but we are also aware that education is needed. According to our research, nearly 60% of Poles believe this topic should appear more often at school. It is included in the core curriculum, but we know that teachers do not always have good materials readily available to conduct interesting lessons for children. That is why we created MultiBezpieczeństwo and provided teachers with ready-made lesson plans,” Rysiak said.
The MultiBezpieczeństwo programme was created by the MultiSport Foundation in cooperation with, among others, the Police, the National Headquarters of the State Fire Service and the Volunteer Water Rescue Service (WOPR). It includes seven lesson scenarios covering safety on the road, near water, at home and in urban spaces.
“The MultiBezpieczeństwo programme provides teachers with free lesson plans and shows how to talk to children about safety in an interesting and engaging way,” said the president of the MultiSport Foundation. “The materials have already reached 14,000 primary schools and have been used by more than 650 teachers.”
The lessons focus on situations children encounter in everyday life. Instead of traditional lectures, they use educational games, analysis of specific situations and practical exercises. Experts point out that children should not learn safety rules only through prohibitions and warnings.
“Parents and teachers should change their communication and stop using language that creates restrictions: don’t move, don’t touch, you’re not allowed. These are messages that teach us to avoid punishment, but they do not teach us how to build habits. Safety rules are not multiplication tables that can simply be learned by heart. We cannot treat them as a checklist of what to do, because safety must become a reflex,” explained Ilona Gregorczyk, an educational expert in the MultiBezpieczeństwo programme at the MultiSport Foundation.
As she emphasised, children should be able to recognise a threat, analyse a situation and respond appropriately. That is why showing why something may happen, what risks are involved and what the consequences may be is more important than simply instilling rules. The form of communication must also be adapted to children’s abilities.
“That is why a multisensory method has been introduced in our project — to guide pupils through fairly difficult topics through movement, emotions, educational games and simulations. These are not just instructions for use, but activities that refer to children’s own experiences,” Gregorczyk said.
“The MultiBezpieczeństwo programme fits into the everyday work of schools. It can be implemented during homeroom classes and contains all the necessary elements to equip children with practical and theoretical knowledge about safety,” said Agnieszka Cieniuszek, teacher and deputy head of Primary School No. 366 in Warsaw. “Children today have a lot of theoretical knowledge and can recite all the rules, but they do not always remember them in practice. That is why reminders and the use of various active programmes are very important.”
The approaching summer holidays are a good opportunity for conversations and lessons about safety, as children have more time for physical activity but also more space for independence.
“During the holidays, some children, especially older ones, may spend more time on their own. Children do not always know how to behave in a dangerous situation, so parents and teachers should talk to them about how to call for help and about potential hazards at home,” said Mariola Główka from the Press Department of the National Headquarters of the State Fire Service. “We associate home with safety and peace, but this can lower our alertness to potentially dangerous incidents. It is worth remembering that, for example, connecting many devices to one power strip or falling asleep next to a charging device placed under a pillow, right next to the head, can create many risks.”
“If we are at the seaside or at bathing areas, we should remind children not to move too far away from the place where we are staying on the beach and never to enter the water alone, but always under adult supervision. We should also swim only in designated areas, meaning guarded bathing sites,” said Patryk Znamirowski from WOPR.
He emphasised that although awareness of water safety is increasing, WOPR still carries out hundreds of interventions every year. Last year, between April and September, 200 people drowned in Poland, including 12 children.
Experts point out that teaching children safety rules can also be a good opportunity for parents to refresh their own knowledge. A study conducted by the MultiSport Foundation shows that one in three adult Poles does not know how to provide assistance to children in an emergency.
