In the past ten years, the number of tram accidents involving pedestrians in the Brussels-Capital Region has halved. While the MIVB/STIB recorded between 40 and 50 such accidents per year in 2015, the figure for 2024 is 23 collisions.
“A promising development,” says the public transport company, “but every accident has potentially serious consequences and remains one too many.”
1,171 collisions last year
According to MIVB/STIB, there were 1,171 collisions in 2024. Considering that Brussels trams traveled 15.8 million km last year, this equates to a ratio of 0.7 accidents per 10,000 km traveled, compared to around 0.9 in the years before the Covid-19 pandemic.
The trend is even more pronounced in pedestrian collisions. In 2024, there were 23 accidents involving a tram and a pedestrian. Ten years ago, this number was consistently above 40, with a record high of 52 in 2016. Collisions involving cyclists and e-scooters are also declining, from 32 in 2022 to 26 in 2024.
Long braking distance
The MIVB/STIB is working to improve road safety through awareness campaigns aimed at pedestrians, other road users, and its own drivers. For example, every year, a campaign is launched to emphasize to the outside world that trams have a long braking distance of at least 40 meters.
Safety is also given extra attention in driver training. The Highway Code also stipulates that trams always have the right of way in traffic, and there are good reasons for this. Trams run on tracks and, therefore, cannot swerve if an obstacle appears.
Four deaths
Despite all these efforts and the positive trend in accident figures, there were still four fatalities last year. “Obeying a red light or crossing at the right place can save lives,” emphasizes the MIVB/STIB.
As it does every fall, the company is also stepping up its track cleaning and leaf collection with Net Brussels to limit the risks associated with humidity and reduced visibility. To this end, MIVB/STIB is deploying two special vehicles that will be on the network day and night, from mid-September until the end of the year.
