This report looks at the cost of road traffic accidents in The Netherlands. An insight into the various costs involved and their development over time enables the problems caused by road traffic accidents to be understood in broad outline and compared with other social issues. Costs are subdivided into six cost items: (1) medical costs; (2) lost production; (3) intangible costs; (4) material costs; (5) handling costs; and (6) congestion costs. The overall cost of road traffic accidents in 2003 is estimated at 12.3 billion euros. Costs between 1997 and 2003 increased by 2.1 billion euros (a rise of 20%). The largest single cost item in this period is intangible costs. Costs for all years have been corrected for inflation to make them directly comparable to 2003 price levels. It appears that, in terms of 2003 prices, there has been very little increase in the overall cost of road traffic accidents. Real costs in 2003 were 1% higher than in 1997.
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