More people over 70 dying in one-sided bicycle accidents

The number of people over the age of 70 who died in a one-sided bicycle accident without colliding with someone or something else, increased significantly since 2010, Statistics Netherlands reported on Friday. The total number of fatal one-sided bicycle accidents also increased.

Last year, 34 percent of deaths in bicycle accidents happened in one-sided accidents, compared to 25 percent in 2010. The victims died after falling from their bicycles, for example, because they became ill, got a foot stuck between the spokes, due to an incorrect steering movement, or due to a bad road surface. 72 percent of the victims were 70 or older.

Last year, 119 people aged 70 or older died in a bicycle accident. That is 57 percent of the total bicycle deaths. In 2010, 49 percent of people killed in bicycle accidents were over the age of 70.

In 2021, the total number of road deaths halved compared to 2000, despite the increased mobility. The number of motorists who died in a traffic accident decreased by 68 percent, while the number of bicycle deaths remained stable. In 2017, 2020, and 2021, there were more fatalities among cyclists than among motorists.

Two out of three cyclists who died in an accident last year were killed in a collision with another vehicle or fixed object, most often with a passenger car.