While traffic casualties go down, 10% more cyclists end up in hospital

According to data from traffic institute Vias, the number of seriously injured cyclists is increasing year after year. In 2022, 7,300 cyclists ended up in hospital after an accident, ten percent more than in 2016. Cyclists are also the only group of road users where the number of seriously injured people is increasing.

According to experts, the main explanation is the popularity of the bike. The number of kilometers cycled in Flanders has grown 70 percent over the last seven years, so it’s no wonder more accidents occur.

Bicycle infrastructure

Cyclists are also the only category of road users in which the number of road deaths is still increasing. Half of the number of cycling fatalities are over 65 years old; a quarter are even older than 75 years.

“Municipalities often pay extra attention to a safe school environment and bicycle infrastructure for children, but they should do the same in places many elderly people frequent, such as nursing homes,” said mobility expert Dirk Lauwers in the newspaper De Morgen.

Mandatory helmet

Since the advent of electric bicycles, more older people have been cycling. They also ride faster and cover more kilometers. However, they are more vulnerable, so accidents often have more severe consequences.

Another vulnerable category in traffic is the e-scooter-rider. The number of injury accidents involving an electric scooter decreased in Brussels (from 267 to 225 accidents) but increased slightly in Wallonia (from 100 to 110 accidents) and Flanders (from 382 to 388).

Figures show that 60% of those involved in an accident have severe head injuries. Experts, therefore, argue for a compulsory helmet.

Fewer deaths on highways

The opposite trend is seen in car accidents. From 2016 to 2022, the number of seriously injured people decreased by 44%. In the first six months of 2024, the number of fatalities decreased by 12% (from 226 to 198) in Belgium, the lowest number ever.

In Flanders, the number of road deaths fell from 121 to 104; in Wallonia, it dropped from 100 to 93. In Brussels, one person died in traffic. Also, on highways, fewer deaths than ever were counted. There were 23 deaths on highways in the first semester of 2024 compared to 37 last year and 57 just before the corona crisis.

Injury accidents

The injury accidents also fell in the first semester, but much less sharply (-4%). The number fell from 11,227 to 10,662 accidents in Flanders (-5%), from 4,825 to 4,682 in Wallonia (-3%), and from 1,896 to 1,813 in Brussels (-4%).

There are several explanations for these declines. Just think of the numerous section checks and the large fleet of ‘company cars’, which are usually more modern and equipped with several driver assistance systems, like collision warnings.

Work to be done

However, Vias points out that the number of deaths did increase among motorized two-wheelers: from 4 to 8 deaths among moped riders and from 20 to 28 deaths among motorcycle riders.

The decline in road deaths in general continues, but we will have to wait until the end of the year to take stock. In any case, there is still work to be done to achieve the target of 320 road deaths per year by 2030.