Challenges in reducing bicycle casualties with high volume cycle use: Lessons from the netherlands

The Netherlands is one of the friendliest countries for cycling in the world (Pucher and Buehler 2007), with cycling accounting for about one third of all trips under 7.5 km (Heinen 2011). In addition, young adults in secondary schools travel almost as far a distance by bicycle as by car (Twisk et al. 2013a). Although cycling is estimated to be about four times riskier than car travel (Stipdonk and Reurings 2012), the Netherlands is still one of the safest countries in the world (World Health Organization (WHO) 2013). However, over the last 10 years, the Netherlands has experienced a 55 per cent increase in severely injured cyclists, while the number of fatalities has remained constant. Today, about a quarter of the number of road fatalities and more than half the number of seriously injured are cyclists (Twisk et al. 2013b).