Apparently, road accidents on Dutch motorways are not fully and insufficiently investigated. This therefore has consequences for road safety. By broadening the scope of the investigations, causes of accidents can be better investigated and road safety can be improved. This is the conclusion of the Dutch Safety Board in its report following a wrong-way driving accident on the A73 in 2017. The Board investigated this accident partly at the request of the Minister of Infrastructure and Water Management, because a similar accident had occurred on the same road in 2010 and the investigations carried out raised further questions.
On the night of 19 November 2017, a wrong-way driver drove on the A73. He drove in the opposite direction on the highway in the dark for nearly 10 miles. Various fellow road users called the emergency center to report the wrong-way driver. Immediately after the wrong-way driver had driven through the Roertunnel, the wrong-way driver collided head-on with another road user. Both drivers died on the spot.
Investigation by Rijkswaterstaat and police
Rijkwaterstaat started an investigation after this accident. The focus was on the tunnel and the processing of reports from other road users, and the possible cause of the wrong-way driver's behavior was not involved. The police also started a criminal investigation, but because the only suspect, the wrong-way driver, had died in the accident, the criminal investigation was soon ended. As usual, the collected evidence, such as the urine and blood samples taken, was destroyed. Questions remained after these studies were completed. How could the driver go wrong for almost 10 kilometers without stopping or turning? What was wrong with the driver? How can wrong-way driving on this road be prevented in the future?
Broader scope necessary
De Research Council for Safety investigated the accident on the basis of the information that was still available. The conclusion is that one of the causes lies at the place where the driver starts wrong-way driving and drives against the direction of the highway. The road situation on this exit was unclear. This allows drivers to make mistakes. Because Rijkswaterstaat's investigation focused on the tunnel and the reports, the unclear traffic situation initially remained out of the sight of the accident investigation. In addition, the Board notes that it was no longer possible to retrieve information about the wrong-way driver's fitness to drive. Destruction of the blood and urine samples made it impossible to determine whether he was under the influence of alcohol, medication or drug use.
Recommendations
Full investigation of road accidents is essential to improve road safety. In its report, the Dutch Safety Board recommends the Minister of Infrastructure and Water Management to do more to prevent wrong-way driving and to improve research into road accidents. More cooperation with other organizations and a broad view of possible causes provide more insight into how future accidents can be prevented. The Council also recommends that the Ministers of Infrastructure and Water Management and Justice and Safety ensure that police investigations into accidents are completed so that the investigation information can be used to improve road safety.
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