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, 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.