Every year, approximately 2% of all people in the Netherlands sustain injuries from falling in the street. Another 2% are injured in cycling accidents. These percentages are higher among people under the age of 25. Additionally, people on e-bikes are more likely to be involved in an accident, especially those over 50. These are some of the findings of a new study by RIVM and VeiligheidNL into physical activity and accidents. The study has created a more comprehensive picture of accidents involving pedestrians and cyclists in the Netherlands.
Regular studies into accidents involving cyclists and pedestrians are mainly based on numbers of fatalities, admissions to accident and emergency (A&E) departments, hospital admissions, ambulance data and police data. This means that cyclists and pedestrians who seek help from a GP or another care provider after an accident, or who do not require any help at all, are not included in these studies. The new study shows that approximately four out of 10 people who sustain injures in an accident receive medical treatment. Treatment is provided by the GP almost as often as in A&E departments. From the 60% who receive no medical treatment, a quarter are unable to go to school or work, play sports or carry out their daily activities at home for at least one day.
Circumstances before the accident
In both cycling accidents and falls in the street, victims themselves say that their own inattention played a major role, followed by another person’s inattention, distraction and the condition of the road. Phone use does not seem to play a significant role in cycling accidents. Those who fell in the street were not asked about this.
Differences between age groups
For this report, RIVM analysed data from the supplementary ‘Physical Activity and Accidents’ module of the 2023 Lifestyle Monitor (RIVM and VeiligheidNL in partnership with Statistics Netherlands). One of the findings was that only 10% of children aged four to 18 receive medical treatment for injuries after falling in the street, compared with up to 65% among people over 50. While young people fall more frequently, injuries among older people seem to be more severe. Older people, and especially those over 70, also appear as a high-risk group for cycling accidents in research conducted in A&E departments. However, in this study they do not. Perhaps older people are not more likely to have an accident, but do end up in A&E departments more frequently because they are more vulnerable.
Repeat study
This study has created a more comprehensive picture of injuries among cyclists and pedestrians due to accidents. This information can serve as the basis for policy to reduce the number of accidents involving pedestrians and cyclists in the Netherlands. RIVM believes it is useful to repeat the study in the future. Data from the supplementary ‘Physical Activity and Accidents’ module of the 2025 Lifestyle Monitor can be used for this purpose.