Young road users aged 15-24 are relatively often involved in fatal run-off-road crashes (see Figure 2). Almost 30% of the road deaths due to run-off-road crashes involving motor vehicles (excluding two-wheelers) are young road users, while 15% of all road deaths are aged 15-24. Within the age group of young road users, 76% of all young road deaths in crashes involving motor vehicles (excluding two-wheelers) occur in run-off-road crashes. This is relatively high when compared to other age groups. Among adults (aged 25-69) and older road users (over-70s), this is the case for 55% and 47% of road deaths, respectively.
At 16%, older road users (over-70s) constitute a limited group of road deaths in run-off-road crashes involving motor vehicles (excluding two-wheelers; see Figure 2). Within the older age group, almost half of the road deaths (47%) involve run-off-road crashes (in crashes involving motor vehicles, excluding two-wheelers, in 2016-2020).
Younger road deaths (aged 15-24) in run-off-road crashes involving motor vehicles (excluding two-wheelers) occur relatively often (37%) on weekend nights (on Friday to Sunday 22:00 - 6:00). This is also seen in other types of fatal road crashes involving young people (see SWOV fact sheet Young road users (teenagers and adolescents)). Young road users (teenagers and adolescents)). Conversely, of the older road deaths (over-70s) in these types of run-off-road crashes, most (62%) occurred during the day on weekdays. About a quarter of the older road deaths (26%) occurred during the day at weekends.
Figure 2. Road deaths due to run-off-road crashes involving motor vehicles (excluding two-wheelers), broken down by age group in 2016-2020. Source BRON.
Most road deaths in run-off-road crashes (involving motor vehicles, excluding two-wheelers) were car occupants: 89%. About 8% were delivery van occupants. The share of cyclists among those killed in run-off-road crashes is not known; see the question How often do run-off-road crashes occur?
