The actual number of public transport casualties is unknown, since the number of road deaths for each vehicle category (bus, train, tram/light rail) is not registered separately (by Statistics Netherlands). The registered[i] public transport crashes mainly involve crash opponents and much less often occupants of the public transport vehicles themselves. Thus, in 2010-2019, the police registered an average annual number of 21.2 road deaths in crashes with a bus[ii], tram or train and only 0.6 road deaths in a bus, tram or train.
Road deaths in crashes with a bus, tram or train as crash opponent mostly concerned vulnerable road users (mainly pedestrians or cyclists; see Figure 1).
Figure 1. Distribution of the registered number or road deaths by mode of transport in crashes with a bus[ii], tram or train as crash opponent in 2010 – 2019.
Since 2009, the number of serious road injuries has been too unreliable to determine. What we do know is that fewer serious road injuries are sustained in a bus, tram or train, than in crashes with a bus, tram or train [1] [2].
[i] BRON figures (Bestand geRegistreerde Ongevallen in Nederland, police crash registration Netherlands). Note: this register is incomplete).
[ii] Excluding coaches.
