Traffic deaths include more young and old drivers

In 2016, a total of 231 passenger car occupants were killed on the road, including 186 drivers and 45 passengers. In addition, traffic deaths included 189 cyclists, 51 pedestrians, 38 mobility scooter riders, 41 (light-)moped riders and 45 motorcyclists.

One-fifth of motorists in fatal accidents between 18 and 24

In the past five years, 187 motorists between ages 18 and 24 were killed in traffic collisions. This represents 22 percent of all road casualties involving motorists and makes young drivers the group with the highest proportion of fatal car accidents.

The share of motorists killed in a car accident is lower among the age group 75 and up, although the older group drives a distance per day which is more than twice as short as that covered by young motorists (i.e. 5 km versus 12 km).

Highest fatality risk at night

On an hourly basis, the highest number of motorists is killed during rush hours: between 7 and 9 AM and between 4 and 6 PM. Rush hour is when the most kilometres per hour are covered. If the number of kilometres covered is taken into account, the risk of being in a fatal car accident for car drivers is highest between 12 AM (midnight) and 7 AM. It is also relatively high at night between 6 PM and 12 AM midnight.

Highest death toll per km driven in Drenthe and Zeeland

In the past five years, the provinces of Noord-Brabant and Gelderland saw the highest proportion of motorists killed in traffic, namely over one-third of the total number. The provinces of Flevoland, Zeeland and Utrecht held the lowest shares in this respect. This image changes when taking into account the distances covered in each province: in that case, Drenthe en Zeeland have relatively the highest shares of car driver deaths, while Zuid-Holland and Noord-Holland occupy the lowest shares.