The Road Safety Coalition, to which the Fietsersbond is affiliated, is seriously concerned about the increasing number of road casualties. Despite all the efforts of politicians, it is not possible to achieve a structural decrease in the number of road casualties. The most recent figures from Statistics Netherlands once again show a discouraging picture.
In the Netherlands, there are two road deaths and 58 seriously injured every day. The Road Safety Coalition finds this unacceptable. Road accidents not only cause untold human suffering every year, but also high social costs. That is why the coalition calls on the new cabinet to formulate a clear ambition for the next 10 years and to link sound financial resources to it.
The Road Safety Coalition makes this urgent appeal at the beginning of the formation of a new cabinet. Last week, it was announced that no fewer than 2020 people died in traffic in the corona year 610, including a record number of cyclists. There are 51 fewer than in 2019, but it remains an unacceptable number. This while the traffic intensity as a result of corona was much lower. Every year, more than 21.000 people are seriously injured in traffic. The Netherlands is doing poorly with these figures, also from an international perspective. The current Road Safety Strategic Plan aims to achieve zero road fatalities by 2050. This requires a reduction of at least 11% per year. However, according to the Road Safety Coalition, the Netherlands is not on track to achieve this reduction. That is why the new cabinet has to keep going. According to the coalition, it is essential that concrete objectives are formulated and that adequate financing is provided.
Road Safety Coalition offers five solution directions
The 'Road Safety Manifesto 2.0', which the Road Safety Coalition is offering to politicians today, contains the 5 solution directions that are necessary according to the Road Safety Coalition to reduce the number of road casualties. Within these solutions, the focus in the coming government's term should be mainly on making roads and cycle paths in and between cities safer, combating distraction in traffic through better enforcement and making vehicles safer. Investing in road safety pays off, according to the CPB previously calculated. Every euro in (bicycle) infrastructure has proven to pay for itself 3 to 4 times in lower social costs, according to the Fietsersbond on their website.
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