It is Wednesday morning and outside it is glistening with frost. For those who have to go outside: better wait a while. Code red is currently in effect in Drenthe, the strictest warning from the KNMI for extreme weather. The weather institute itself reports this.
Since the new KNMI warning system was introduced in 2010, code red has not been issued often. In Drenthe and the rest of the Netherlands it has only happened four times in recent years due to icy conditions: in February 2012, January 2016, February 2021 and now in February 2026.
Other times, code red was necessary during storms, such as storm Corrie in January 2022 and summer storm Poly in July 2023, especially in North Holland, Friesland and Flevoland. The KNMI uses code red for situations in which the weather poses such major safety risks that society can be disrupted.
Code red is primarily urgent advice, not a legal obligation. The KNMI warns of dangerous weather that can threaten lives, such as black ice, storms or extremely high temperatures. Authorities, municipalities and emergency services use this warning to take measures and inform the public, but it is up to citizens themselves to decide whether to go on the road, for example.
The advice is clear: stay indoors as much as possible and avoid risks. Such a warning is therefore a serious indication to adjust your behavior, even if the law does not literally state that you must do something.
Anyone who ignores the warning runs a risk. Freezing rain or heavy storms can cause accidents, injuries or damage to vehicles and homes.
From a legal perspective, liability can play a role. If you go on the road during code red, you are still insured, but if you have an accident, it will be checked whether you have been reckless or careless.
Going on the road during code red, urgent advice not to go on the road, can considered by insurers as careless or reckless driving behavior. For example, if your car is involved in an accident during a code red, ignoring warnings could therefore be taken into account in insurance claims or liability issues.
According to the KNMI and safety services, simply ignoring warnings significantly increases the risk of accidents and emergencies. The advice is therefore not without reason: your safety and that of others is at stake.
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