In 2023, there were 270 fatalities among cyclists in traffic, which is 20 fewer than the previous year. Similar to last year, at least 40% of these individuals were riding e-bikes, as revealed by the annual report released by Statistics Netherlands on April 10. The total number of traffic-related deaths reached 684.
For the fourth consecutive year, cyclist fatalities (270) outnumbered those of passenger car occupants (194). Between 2019 and 2023, a total of 1,199 cyclists lost their lives in traffic incidents. Among these, 42% were the result of collisions with passenger cars or vans, while 10 percent occurred after collisions with trucks or buses. Additionally, 32% were attributed to single-vehicle accidents. Notably, for cyclists aged 75 and above, 38% of fatalities were due to single-vehicle accidents.
Despite an overall decrease of 61 road fatalities compared to 2022, the total figure remains higher than the period between 2010 and 2021.
Groningen & Utrecht University have worked with the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management to study any potential links between e-bike users vs conventional bicycle riders, and number of accidents.
It has been reported that the number of traffic fatalities per million e-bike owners is estimated to be twice as high as fatalities per million non-electric bicycle owners. However, the universities and ministry researchers have looked at fatality data differently, concluding that owning an e-bike does not cause an increase in cycling-related deaths, and that a greater fatality risk can be attributed to rider age and distance of travel.
Accident data on age, gender and exposure was analysed from 2018 to 2021. From this, researchers noticed that the risk of a cycling fatality increased for cyclists older than 80 years of age, and this statistic was even higher for cyclists in this age group who rode a non-electric bike. The study implies that policies on road safety shouldn’t focus on bicycle category, but should be directed toward preventing accidents for all ages.
Figure: number of cycling deaths per billion kilometers in the Netherlands from 2018 to 2021, divided into age and gender (Source: Westerhuis et. al, 2024 ).
By looking at the data, researchers explain that e-bike fatalities do occur more in older age groups because they tend to be more vulnerable, and more likely to be seriously injured. Also when riders travel longer distances on e-bikes, they are more exposed to accidents, since people travel more kilometres per trip on average on e-bikes than they would on a conventional bicycle. The researchers identified that the data indicates that e-bikes do not cause a rise in accidents, and conclude that no connection has so far been made between a higher cycling speed and travel incidents.
The scientists also conclude that their analysis does not allow causal connections to be established, with their results being indicative. They explain that in theory, further experiments could establish a causal link between traffic fatalities and e-bicycles, with effects being measured before and after research. But in the context of traffic accidents, a research design like that would be too unrealistic because it would result in too few accidents to make a valid statement, so looking at accident statistics after they’ve occurred is the best option in these circumstance.
In the past year, a total of 20,640 lives were lost in road accidents across the European Union, marking a 4% increase compared to the preceding year, as traffic volumes rebounded following the pandemic.
While it is important to acknowledge that the long-term trajectory reveals a slight decline of -9% when compared to the pre-pandemic year, this reduction is not occurring at a pace sufficient to attain the European Union’s goal of halving the number of road fatalities by the year 2030. Moreover, the progress achieved remains conspicuously disparate among Member States. Notably, Lithuania and Poland reported the most significant reductions, exceeding 30% between 2019 and 2022. Nonetheless, the fatality rate in Poland continues to surpass the European Union average. Conversely, in the last three years, the count of road fatalities in Ireland, Spain, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Slovakia, and Sweden has either remained stagnant or exhibited an upward trend.
The overall ranking of countries based on their fatality rates has exhibited minimal change since the pre-pandemic era, with the safest roads persisting in Sweden (with 22 fatalities per one million inhabitants) and Denmark (26 per million), while Romania (86 per million) and Bulgaria (78 per million) reported the highest fatality rates in 2022. The European Union’s average fatality rate in 2022 stood at 46 road deaths per one million inhabitants.
The data released by the European Commission provides a comprehensive overview of road fatalities for the year 2022, building upon the preliminary information disclosed in February 2023.
Estimates for the Year 2023:
Preliminary statistics for the initial six months of 2023 suggest a slight reduction in road fatalities across the European Union, in contrast to the same period in 2022. Several Member States, including Belgium, France, Slovakia, and Finland, have reported significant declines. Conversely, certain countries, such as Latvia, Lithuania, Portugal, and Sweden, have witnessed substantial increases thus far. Given the inherent monthly fluctuations, making a precise projection for the entire year remains challenging.
Campaign success
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua.
Member profile
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua.
