Skip to main content

Increase in road crashes in the Netherlands

After several years of declining numbers of road crashes and improving safety statistics, the Netherlands is seeing an increase in road fatalities. Research by Dutch insurance umbrella body Verbond van Verzekeraars reveals that the number of crashes in the country is now increasing once more. During 2015 there were 502,000 personal claims following road crashes in the country, coampred with 462,000 in the previous year. Meanwhile the road fatality rate increased from 570 in 2014 to 621 in 2015. Similarly, t
November 1, 2016 Read time: 2 mins
After several years of declining numbers of road crashes and improving safety statistics, the Netherlands is seeing an increase in road fatalities. Research by Dutch insurance umbrella body Verbond van Verzekeraars reveals that the number of crashes in the country is now increasing once more. During 2015 there were 502,000 personal claims following road crashes in the country, coampred with 462,000 in the previous year. Meanwhile the road fatality rate increased from 570 in 2014 to 621 in 2015. Similarly, the number of road crashes increased by 6.5% to 841,000 in 2015 compared with the previous year. A full analysis of the crash data has yet to be carried out but the use of smartphones by drivers is thought to be the primary reason by this worrying increase in road crashes. The Netherlands has a good record on road safety and its low crash rate on its network makes it amongst the 10 safest countries in the world for road users. This latest study suggests however the need to implement new measures to endemic tackle phone use by drivers.

Related Content

  • New Zealand is bucking the trend in road safety with increasing crashes
    June 4, 2015
    New Zealand is bucking the trend worldwide on improving road safety with an increase in crashes on its roads. The country saw 5.7 road deaths/100,000 people in 2014 according to the International Road Traffic and Accident Database, an increase of 16.1% from the previous year. This is the largest increase in the 28 countries surveyed, and largely reverses a 17% reduction from the previous year. The death toll on New Zealand’s roads so far in 2015 is 134, compared to 123 and 100 in the comparable periods of 2
  • Crash injury risks vary between males and females
    March 1, 2021
    Crash injury risks vary between males and females in the US according to research.
  • Brake and Direct Line survey: UK drivers flout traffic laws
    April 28, 2015
    Half of UK drivers in a recent survey admitted to breaking traffic laws and half of these drivers said they did it with intention. Of the drivers who willingly broke the law, half acknowledged they did it because they believed there was little chance of getting caught, or they simply did not agree the law and saw no reason to obey. Road safety charity Brake and vehicle insurance company Direct Line said the survey reveals a worrying attitude by many road users toward safety on highways. Brake said that U
  • Distracted driving from smartphone use poses a major road safety threat
    December 10, 2013
    Cell phone use while driving is not appreciated amongst drivers for the risk it presents. And with people growing ever more reliant on smartphones and other hand-held devices, the issue of distracted driving looks set to increase. Automotive manufacturers are installing wifi and other technologies in new generation vehicles in a bid to broaden market appeal, particularly to younger drivers. But it seems little thought has been given to the safety risks these pose should drivers attempt to use them when behi