Netherlands road risk for cyclists

A change in road risk has been seen in the Netherlands, with more cyclists than drivers being killed on the country’s roads in 2017. The data came from the Dutch statistics bureau, CBS. The research suggests that there are two key factors in this change. Firstly, motor vehicles are generally safer now than in the past, with better crash protection and other safety technologies. Meanwhile an increase in the numbers and performance of electric bicycles and their use by a greater number of older riders is thought to be a significant factor in the rise in cycling deaths. The CBS data shows that 201 people were killed in motor vehicle crashes in 2017, compared with 231 deaths in 2016. Meanwhile there were 206 cyclist deaths on the road network in the Netherlands in 2017, compared with 189 in 2016. Of those cyclists killed in crashes, around 67% were aged 65 or more. Overall there were 613 deaths on the country’s roads in 2017, compared with 629 in 2016.