Sharp increase in scooter accidents since pandemic

The number of scooter accidents in the Netherlands increased significantly compared to before the coronavirus pandemic, AD reports based on its analysis of figures from traffic research agency SWOV. Nearly one in eight traffic accidents last year involved a moped or a scooter.

There were over 14,000 accidents involving a scooter or a moped in the Netherlands last year. Almost 8,400 involved only damage to the bodywork. In 49 cases, someone died. In 5,600 accidents, someone got hurt. That is over a quarter higher than in pre-pandemic 2019.

The SWOV did not specifically research the cause of the increase, but according to AD, past figures show that inexperience and busier roads play a role. The chance that a scooter rider between the ages of 16 and 24 will end up in an emergency room is much higher than for an older driver, figures from VeiligheidNL showed. According to traffic psychologist Gerard Tertoolen, busier roads also “increase the risk of traffic conflicts,” he said to the newspaper.

According to AD, the number of accidents between scooters and pedestrians increased by over 30 percent compared to 2019. The number of collisions with a fixed object like a lamppost increased by almost the same percentage. And the number of rear-end collins with other scooters or cars was a quarter higher than in 2019.