The third edition of the national Bicycle Helmet Day will take place on Wednesday, April 10, 2024. The aim of this day is to make people, both young and old, aware of the importance of the bicycle helmet. The Road Safety Coalition also presents the figures for 2023: the number of road casualties in the Netherlands is slightly lower than last year, but still higher than in previous years. Compared to the previous decade, cyclists are more often victims in traffic.
Cycling is popular and healthy, but unfortunately it can also lead to accidents. Last year, 76,400 cyclists were treated in the Emergency Department as a result of a traffic accident. More than two in five of them were over 55 years old, and 12 percent were between 12 and 17 years old. In 70 percent of all cases it was a single-vehicle accident and almost two-thirds of all bicycle accidents resulted in serious injuries. Brain damage was also present in one in six cases. This was even one in five among people over 55.
The importance of reducing head and brain injuries after a cycling accident and promoting the use of bicycle helmets is gaining increasing support. This year, BOVAG, RAI Association and Association of Insurers are joining it initiative that was started by Doctors for Safe Cycling, Hersenstichting, HersenStrijd fund, VeiligheidNL, Interpolis, ANWB, Veilig Verkeer Nederland and various provinces.
According to the latest figures from Statistics Netherlands, 684 people were killed in traffic in 2023. That is 61 fewer than in 2022, but every traffic victim remains one too many. The Road Safety Coalitionincluding the Dutch Association of Insurers, therefore continues to emphasize the need for accelerated structural investments in road safety.
Earlier this year, the Road Safety Coalition appealed to politicians to invest heavily in road safety to make the roads safer for all road users. According to the coalition, the greatest gain for road safety can be achieved with the following five interventions:
- Invest in safe cycling infrastructure, such as separate and wider cycle paths. That is the best way to prevent accidents.
- Stimulate wearing a bicycle helmet and give more information and advice about the use of bicycle helmets.
- Encourage 30 km/h within built-up areas, where it improves unsafe situations.
- Innovate with enforcement: give boas more powers to take action in traffic violations + place more Monocams against texting in traffic.
- Make the investment impulse of the strategic road safety plan (SPV) structural financing.
In 2023, 684 road deaths were determined by Statistics Netherlands. That is 61 fewer than last year, but the trend still remains worrying. A total of 270 cyclists and 194 passenger car occupants were killed. 32% of cycling fatalities occurred in a single-vehicle accident. Last year, 76,400 cyclists were also treated in the Emergency Department as a result of a traffic accident.
