Samenvatting
Road accidents were regarded as part of life until the rapid increase after the end of fuel rationing in 1949. By 1954 road deaths exceeded deaths from all infectious disease. Road accidents were defined entirely in terms of human error and remedies were sought in exhortation and the supernat- ural. Rational policies were inhibited by this mode of thought and by lack of knowledge. To date, countermeasures concerning roads, vehicles and helmets for two wheel riders have been notably successful. Measures against road user impairment by alcohol, though vigorously pursued, have had only a modest effect. In the future, improvements will b more difficult to obtain, though there are several factors not adequately tackled.