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From the age of 70, road users have an increased fatality rate as a result of a road crash. The fatality rate for older car drivers (70 or older) is 2.8 times higher than for younger drivers (under 60). Looking at cyclists and pedestrians, the difference in fatality rate is much greater: for older pedestrians it is 6.6 times higher, for older cyclists 12.4 times higher.
Several measures can be used to affect behaviour: enforcement, education and public communication, as well as vehicle and infrastructure measures. Measures that enforce or elicit safe behaviour are generally most effective, ensuring that road users do not have to (consciously) think to behave safely.
The social costs of road crashes in the Netherlands in 2022 are estimated at € 33 billion (between € 19 and € 44 billion), equivalent to 3.4% (1.9-4.6%) of the gross domestic product (GDP). This is significantly higher than other traffic-related social costs such as traffic congestion (€ 2.7 to € 3.5 billion) and environmental damage (€ 8.2 billion).
A bicycle helmet is intended to protect cyclists against head and brain injuries when they are involved in crashes. Research shows that in case of a crash helmeted cyclists are 60% less likely to sustain serious head/brain injuries and 70% less likely to sustain fatal head/brain injuries than cyclists not wearing a helmet.
In 2023, 684 people were killed in road crashes in the Netherlands. That is 61 road deaths less than a year earlier, but more than between 2010 and 2021.
By traffic education we mean all educational activities aimed at positively influencing road user behaviour. The activities are mainly aimed at increasing knowledge, insight, skills and motivation. In principle, traffic education is relevant to all road users, young and old, in all road user roles: lifelong traffic education.
More detailed information about the individual data sources can be found in the report Data Sources; A comprehensive overview.
In 2022, the number of serious road injuries in the Netherlands was estimated at 8,300. That number is about 1,500 (over 20%) higher than the 2021 number and also slightly higher than was to be expected considering the upward trend through 2019.
During the most recent measurements, in 2022, 2.6% of the Dutch drivers were under the influence of alcohol during weekend nights, which amounts to almost double the lowest percentage of alcohol offenders measured (1.4% in 2017).
In general, crash risk is higher in bad weather than in good weather. Adverse weather conditions are mainly rain, snow/hail, fog, strong winds, slipperiness, low sun and high temperatures.