Last year, 582 people died in a traffic accident, according to new figures from Statistics Netherlands (CBS). It is the lowest number since 2015. Only in 2013 and 2014 was the number of road deaths lower – then there were 570 annually.
It is difficult to pinpoint the cause of the decline, says a CBS spokesperson, but he suspects that campaigns against alcohol and WhatsApp use behind the wheel play a role. “In addition, it is possible that there is a corona effect. Traffic intensity decreased during the lockdowns, and especially when there was a curfew, you saw fewer accidents in the evenings.”
In particular, the number of deaths from a car accident has fallen sharply. In 2000 there were 543, last year 175. According to Statistics Netherlands, the number of cyclists who died remains more or less stable, but on Tuesday the knowledge center SafetyNL reported that the number of bicycle accidents is increasing. This could be partly due to the fact that more and more people are riding an electric bicycle, and are not always using it well. The researchers believe that more cyclists should wear helmets.
Half of the road deaths last year were 60 or older, while that age group represents about a quarter of the population. The elderly are more likely to have fatal bicycle accidents, the CBS writes, while younger traffic victims are more likely to die in a car accident.
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