Traffic accident deaths rise 9%, cycling deaths are stable

In total, 621 people were killed in accidents on the Dutch roads last year, a rise of 9% on 2014.

Traffic deaths have been declining steadily since the 1970s, when some 3,000 people a year died on the roads. It is the first time the number of road deaths has gone up since then, the national statistics office CBS said.

Of the 621 people who died, 225 were in a private car. The number of cyclists killed remained stable at 185.

In total, 41 people were killed while out on a mobility scooter, a rise of 14 on a year ago. And the number of people over the age of 80 dying in a traffic accident has also gone up sharply. The over-80s accounted for 119 of last year’s deaths, the CBS said.