He stated this in response to the announcement of the number of road deaths for 2021.
A bicycle helmet? To do!
If all cyclists would wear helmets, this would save about 80 bicycle deaths per year, the new director of the Institute for Scientific Research on Road Safety (SWOV) explains in an interview with the AD† “From the age of 55, people get worse in their balance. Then you should not wait too long before wearing a helmet. A helmet on your bike from the age of 60? I say go for it!”
Number of road deaths
A report by the Central Bureau of Statistics shows that there were 582 road deaths last year, 28 fewer than in 2020. The majority of the fatalities were on bicycles. For example, there were 207 bicycle deaths compared to 175 occupants of passenger cars. In addition, 52 motorcyclists, 49 moped riders, 43 pedestrians and 32 scooter drivers were killed.
Cars are getting safer
Remarkably enough, the chance of dying in a car accident has fallen spectacularly since the turn of the century. Where there were 543 road deaths in 2000, there will be 175 in 2021. This is a 70 percent decrease. This decrease is mainly due to the fact that cars are becoming safer.
Rise in killed e-bikers
The number of cyclists killed also fell slightly during this period, from 233 to 207. The number of e-bikers killed increased to 80 last year. “Cyclists remain very vulnerable,” Damen notes. According to him, the Dutch are quite persistent when it comes to not wearing a helmet, compared to other countries. “It makes your hair look bad and in the Netherlands there are not so many accidents that you see fatal bicycle accidents all around you.”
Voluntary encouragement of bicycle helmet
Damen therefore expects that the Dutch cabinet will first want to look at ways to voluntarily encourage bicycle helmets. The House of Representatives will debate road safety with Minister Harbers next week.
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Source: AD