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The number of cyclists killed
on the Dutch roads has outstripped the number of people killed in cars for the
first time, the national statistics office CBS said on Wednesday.
In total, 613
people were killed in traffic accidents last year, a drop of 16 on 2016. Of
them, 206 of them were cyclists, a rise of 17 and the highest figure in 10
years, the CBS said.
In addition, 201 people were killed in cars, 82 died in
motorbike or moped accidents, 58 pedestrians were killed and 25 people died
while using mobility scooters, the CBS said.
While the number of people killed
in car accidents has declined steadily, deaths among cyclists has been
virtually unchanged for years.
The over-65s account for two-thirds of deaths
among cyclists, and e-bikes were involved in one in four bike accidents.
Road
safety body Veilig Verkeer Nederland said in a reaction it is important that
road users are aware of their own physical limitations. ‘Being in traffic is a
question of taking each other into account, and that is not difficult to do,’
spokesman Rob Stomphorst said.
Transport minister Cora van Nieuwenhuizen said
she would do ‘all’ she could to reverse the trend.
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