In the Netherlands, about two percent of the population is injured from falling on the street each year. Another two percent are injured in cycling accidents. This happens more often among those under 25. Furthermore, electric cyclists have a higher chance of an accident, especially those over 50. These are some results from new research by RIVM and VeiligheidNL on physical activity and accidents. This provides a more complete picture of accidents involving walkers and cyclists in the Netherlands.
Regular research on cycling and pedestrian accidents mainly relies on the number of traffic fatalities, visits to the emergency room (ER Emergency Room (Emergency Room)), hospital admissions, ambulance data, or police data. Cyclists and pedestrians who seek help from a general practitioner or other healthcare provider after an accident, or who do not need help at all, remain outside the picture. This research shows that about four out of ten people with injuries are treated for this. Treatment occurs almost as often with the general practitioner as with the ER. Sixty percent do not receive medical treatment. However, a quarter of this last group cannot attend school, work, sports, or their daily activities at home for at least one day.
Circumstances prior to the accident
In both cycling accidents and falls on the street, the victims inattention plays a major role, according to their own statements. This is followed by anothers inattention, distraction, and the condition of the road. Phone use does not seem to play a significant role in cycling accidents; for falls on the street, this has not been queried.
Differences between age groups
For this report, RIVM analyzed data from the additional module Physical Activity and Accidents of the Lifestyle Monitor 2023 (RIVM, VeiligheidNL in collaboration with CBS Central Bureau of Statistics (Central Bureau of Statistics)). It shows, among other things, that only 10 percent of 4- to 18-year-olds need medical help after being injured from falling on the street. In groups over 50 years old, this percentage rises to 65 percent. While younger people fall more often, the injuries seem to be more severe among the elderly. Elderly individuals (especially those over 70) also emerge as a risk group for cycling accidents in emergency room studies. In this research, they do not. It is possible that older people do not have more accidents but end up in the ER relatively often because they are more vulnerable.
Repeating the research
This research provides a more complete picture of injuries from cycling and pedestrian accidents. Therefore, RIVM finds it worthwhile to repeat this research in the future. This can help policymakers create policies to reduce the number of cycling and walking accidents in the Netherlands. Data from the additional module Physical Activity and Accidents of the Lifestyle Monitor 2025 is suitable for this.
