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Decrease in road deaths continues;
The effects of measures have not yet been sufficiently explained
On 25th April the Minister of Transport, Karla Peijs, announced the road crash data for 2005. The decrease in road deaths has continued although less rapidly. 2005 had 64 fewer deaths than 2004; there were 817. This was more than 7% less than in the previous year. SWOV expects the numbers of deaths and injured to decrease even more if some measures are taken that will very likely improve road safety.

Explanation is not yet sufficiently well founded
The data shows that the improvements in the numbers of casualties occurred for all factors: ages, transport modes, and age groups. SWOV will conduct further research to find explanations for these recent numbers. It is too early to come to the conclusion that it is mainly the consequence of a number of measures taken in the last five years. The assumed relation cannot yet be confirmed. Now that the data has been made known, SWOV will make a further study and this summer will report the findings in our Annual Road Safety Analysis 2005. These results can be used to formulate the new target, because the current one is a maximum of 900 road deaths in 2010.

Long-term Road Safety Analysis 1946-200
Besides this annual analysis, we will also publish what is known as a long-term road safety analysis for 1946-2006. Using a longer period of time enables us to better analyse the developments in the various fields of road safety. For example, previous studies have shown that the Sustainable Safety approach which started in 1992 has had a positive effect. Creating more 30 km/hour and 60 km/hour zones is a measure stemming from the Sustainable Safety vision.

Improvements remain possible
The comparative European study SUNflower+6 which has recently been published shows that the Netherlands can still make improvements. The international research team made the following recommendations for the Netherlands:

  • continue the policies of constructing 30 km/hour zones and constructing bicycle facilities, thus striving for qualitative improvements;
  • reduce the driving speeds of motorized traffic at locations where they use the same road as pedestrians and cyclists, especially at crossroads;
  • pay more attention to the relatively high crash rates of mopedists, in particular the 16 and 17 year olds;
  • search for possibilities of increasing the driving experience of young motorists before they take their driving exam, e.g. by introducing accompanied driving;
  • improve the safety of 80 km/hour roads;
  • achieve a better harmony between the road layout and speed limits;
  • pay more attention to extreme speeding offenders and recidivists and reconsider reinforcement policy for this category of offenders.
The complete report can be found at Long-term programme/ International Research/ SUNflower+6.
Enquiries:
SWOV, Information and Communication
Han Tonnon, (070) 317 33 15, 06-11 53 29 15
Patrick Rugebregt, (070) 317 33 18
E-mail: persvoorlichting@swov.nl