Print Friendly, PDF & Email

We notice that it is getting busier on the roads with regard to cyclists. Many people started cycling in times of the corona crisis because, for example, public transport was not accessible to everyone. Despite the fact that public transport is easily accessible again, many people continue to enjoy cycling. This will only increase in the future. Now that it is getting busier, there are also more accidents among cyclists, especially among the elderly people, more accidents happen. It is urgent on our roads and cycle paths. We now have a bicycle network in the Netherlands of more than 150.000 kilometers. The cyclists' union has been advocating for a better cycling network in the Netherlands for years. Statistics Netherlands reported in a survey on their website that there have been fewer road deaths among motorists than among cyclists in the past 20 years. The number of car occupants killed fell by 1999 percent between 2019 and 60 (that's more than halved). The number of people killed on a bicycle fell by only 11 percent during this period.

There is a sizeable one increase of the number of road fatalities on bicycles (including e-bikes) can be seen among the over-70s between 1999 and 2019, an increase of no less than 68 percent. The reason why many people over 70 are involved in a bicycle accident is unclear. Elderly people are more vulnerable in traffic than other wrong participants. The responsiveness of this group decreases, it is more difficult for them to absorb themselves when falling or in a collision with someone else. These are examples of reasons why accidents with the elderly may not end well. There are also several dangerous roads in the Netherlands with confusing intersections, where cars are driving fast and the road may be less well maintained. This can also be the cause of more accidents. Perhaps the solution is to wear a helmet, which is already mandatory in several European countries such as Slovakia and Spain.

Also read: Twenty new electric vehicles for Munckhof