The roads in Drenthe have had another busy year in 2024. According to figures from Rijkswaterstaat, the number of traffic jams was higher than ever this year: 410 times traffic came to a standstill on national highways in the province. This is an increase of 14 percent compared to 2023, when 359 traffic jams were registered.
Although the number of traffic jams continues to increase, there is also good news. The severity of traffic jams, which is calculated by multiplying the length of the traffic jams by the duration, decreased by 10 percent compared to last year. In 2024, the total traffic congestion amounted to 26 million minute-kilometers, compared to 29 million in 2023.
Looking back at previous years, it is clear that the increase in the number of traffic jams has been going on for several years. In 2022 there were 273 traffic jams, and now that number has increased by 50 percent. Yet it is striking that the severity of traffic jams has actually decreased over the past two years.
Crowds remain the biggest culprit behind traffic jams. This year there were 308 traffic jams, an increase of 30 traffic jams compared to last year. Accidents caused 38 traffic jams, slightly more than the 36 in 2023. The number of traffic jams due to stranded vehicles and construction work also increased slightly, to 15 and 24 respectively.
Blockades and demonstrations did not play a role in Drenthe in 2024, just as in previous years. It is striking that the share of traffic jams increases outside rush hours. With 155 traffic jams outside rush hour, compared to 125 in 2023, the crowds are increasingly spread throughout the day.
The A28 also appears to be the most traffic-sensitive highway in Drenthe this year. The largest number of traffic jams was recorded on this route, often caused by crowds or accidents.
The longest traffic jam of 2024 was on June 30 and caused a delay of 147 minutes. This traffic jam was caused by the crowds around the TT.
The difference between the morning and evening rush hours remains relatively small. This year, 177 traffic jams were recorded in the morning and 78 in the evening. However, the evening rush hour saw a clear increase compared to last year, when there were 61 traffic jams during that period.
The figures from Rijkswaterstaat relate exclusively to national highways. This means that traffic jams on provincial roads such as the N34 are not included. Although the N33 and N48 are national highways, these figures have been omitted from the overview. Traffic jams on N-roads make up less than 5 percent of the traffic jams and have been ignored for practical reasons. This concerns traffic jams on the A28, A32 and A37.