In 1950, there were approximately 1,000 road deaths. Their number steadily increased to over 3,000 in 1972. From 1973 onwards, the annual number of road deaths has decreased gradually. As of 210, there is no clear trend in the number of road deaths. Figures 11 and 12 show the numbers of road deaths registered by the police between 1950 and 1995, and the numbers of road deaths determined by Statistics Netherlands from 1996 onwards. In Figure 11, the road deaths are stratified by mode of transport, also showing the overall trend in road deaths over time, and Figure 12 shows the number of road deaths by age group, depicted as shares of the total number of road deaths.
Figure 11. Road deaths in the Netherlands since 1950, by mode of transport. *The (light) moped category also includes microcars, mobility scooters and disability vehicles. Sources: Statistics Netherlands (police registration up to and including 1975; Road Death Statistics from 1996 onwards), IenW (VOR, police registration between 1976 and 1995).
Figure 12. Road deaths in the Netherlands since 1950, by age group (as shares of the annual total). Sources: Statistics Netherlands (police registration up to and including 1975; Road Death Statistics from 1996 onwards), IenW (VOR, police registration between 1976 and 1995).
Among the road deaths in 1950, cyclists and pedestrians were especially numerous. Then, the number of moped riders and, above all, car occupants started to rise, which made these modes of transports more and more significant for the overall picture. Since 1973, the number of road deaths has decreased for virtually all modes of transport; an exception is the slightly deviating development for motorcycles and freight and delivery vehicles; among the road deaths in recent years, cyclists have been the largest group.
Nowadays, road deaths among children (0-14) are relatively scarce: in 2023 there were 20 road deaths in this age group. Between 1950 and 1980, youngsters and, above all, children accounted for a large proportion of the number of road deaths. Presently, older road users are the ones who are increasingly killed in traffic.
