A new ANWB report finds that although the Netherlands is a world leader in road safety, additional efforts are needed in order to achieve the national target.
The report finds that most (62%) of the nation’s provincial roads are rated just 1- or 2-stars for vehicle occupants. This helps to explain why more than 25% of fatal crashes take place on provincial roads although together these roads account for only 6% of the total Dutch road network.
Provincial roads are generally well managed and maintained but the combination of a high speed limit (80 km/h) and the profiles of these roads means that a great many of them are not suited to handling large traffic flows safely.
Numerous safety improvements are suggested in the report, such as safety barriers, street lights and rumble strips.
While the current report focuses on vehicle occupants, a second edition is planned which will examine the unique features of bicycling infrastructure in the Netherlands.