A Dutch news site, Trouw, has estimated that three times more cyclists are seriously injured in traffic than official records show. In some cases, they say, the gap is even wider.
The discrepancy comes from official statistics that only report accidents that are reported to and investigated by police. Now, two provincial governments have asked the safety organisation VeiligheidNL to recalculate figures also including hospital and ambulance treatment after traffic accidents.
Preliminary research by Veiligheid indicates that the 2019 figure of about 14,000 serious incidents should be as high as 80,000. In some areas, including Friesland, the figure runs to eight times the official totals.
More accurate totals, it is hoped, will lead to better design of roads and better safety regulations. One item under consideration is a possible helmet requirement for e-bike riders, who appear to have an injury rate far out of proportion to their growing numbers.
