We have been stuck with corona for a long time and where many of us expected that we would now be rid of it, unfortunately, we are completely wrong. In the first corona year, there was a lot less traffic on the road due to the various strict measures and lockdowns. Traffic jams were a thing of the past and it was just pleasant to drive to work in the 'morning' and 'evening rush hours'. Last year we all noticed that it was a lot busier on the road again and we were often stuck in traffic jams. Last year there were therefore more traffic accidents with more injuries and more damage to property compared to 2020. Fortunately, the number of fatalities decreased compared to 2020.
In 2020, according to Smart Traffic Accident Reporting (STAR) 16.540 collisions with at least one injured and in 2021 there were no fewer than 17.842, an increase of 1302 victims. The number of traffic accidents with only material damage increased last year by 5055 incidents: from 63.649 in 2020 to 68.704 in 2021. Fortunately, the number of traffic accidents with at least one fatality decreased. In 2020 there were 496 road fatalities and last year there were 478, a difference of 18 fatalities.
Despite the fact that the numbers of more injuries and more damage to property increased in 2021, the figures are still lower compared to 2019. According to the police, the biggest causes of traffic accidents are speed, use of a telephone in traffic and driving under the influence. The use of nitrous oxide behind the wheel is a common problem in traffic. Last year, the police caught about 400 times a driver using nitrous oxide behind the wheel every month.
