Cycling injuries and deaths rise sharply in the Netherlands, new figures show

Figures from VeiligheidNL show that cyclists in the Netherlands went to emergency departments more frequently last year compared with the two years before. The organisation estimates that around 81,000 cycling-related injuries led to visits to the SEH in 2025.

Over 14,000 cycling accident victims treated at emergency departments last year sustained either mild or severe brain injuries, according to VeiligheidNL. The organisation states that wearing a helmet can lower the risk of fatal head trauma by 71 percent and serious head injury by 60 percent in the event of a crash. In response, it has launched a campaign aimed at increasing bicycle helmet use.

Over the past decade, the number of cyclists suffering significant injuries has risen by nearly 25 percent. Mijntje Bakker, a VeiligheidNL director, argues that helmet use can be crucial, stressing that while broken bones typically recover, brain injuries often have long-lasting consequences.

New data from Statistics Netherlands shows that traffic accidents claimed 759 lives in 2025, which is 84 more fatalities than in 2024. Cyclists accounted for over a third of all road deaths, with 281 fatalities, an increase of 35 compared to the year before.

Head injuries were the primary cause of death in 63 percent of fatal cycling accidents. The rise in cycling deaths in 2025 was most pronounced among men aged 70 and above, where fatalities increased by 40 to a total of 118.

Minister of Infrastructure and Water Management Vincent Karremans said the figures have risen at an alarming rate: “That is why we are working on a new safety approach, in which we will place extra emphasis on the importance of wearing a bicycle helmet."

Karremans has introduced a new initiative called “Zet ’m Op,” aiming to encourage helmet use among cyclists. The government hopes that by 2035, one in four cyclists will voluntarily wear a helmet.