New figures show 4 times more traffic accidents in A'dam 1 day ahead of 30 km/h speed limit

According to new figures from the Amsterdam ambulance service, there were 4,800 traffic accidents in the Dutch capital last year. That is four times more than the 1,150 serious accidents reported by the police. Traffic alderman Melanie van der Horst sees the high number of accidents as confirmation that the 30 kilometers per hour speed limit taking effect in the city on Friday is desperately needed, Parool reports.

The city has suspected for some time that the actual number of accidents is higher than the figures that make it into the police statistics, Van der Horst said. But she finds it striking that the number is so much higher.

“Four times as many! We will have to do everything we can to turn the tide. This really has to stop,” she told the newspaper. She added that the number may be higher still. “Not everyone involved in an accident ends up in an ambulance.”

Amsterdam will eventually ask hospital emergency rooms, among others, to also provide data on the traffic accident victims treated. This data could provide more information about the circumstances of the accident, making it possible to intervene more accurately and efficiently.

“It was already clear with the previous method of registration that the trend in the number of accidents was going in the wrong direction,” Van der Horst said. The city hopes that by lowering the speed limit to 30 km/h per hour, the roads will become safer.

The 30 km/h speed limit will apply to about 80 percent of Amsterdam roads. These streets are currently dotted with signs covered in stickers announcing the change, which will be effective tomorrow.

For the most part, the rest of the roadways will have a maximum speed of 50 km/h. These streets will eventually get markings to make it more clear that they have a higher speed limit.

To prepare for the change, the city has also adjusted about 135 stoplights to try to keep the flow of traffic efficient.