Netherlands

Roadscor tackles critical road safety challenges by shifting from reactive to proactive design evaluation, especially for vulnerable road users (VRUs) at urban intersections. Traditional safety assessments rely heavily on historical crash data or near-miss observations, which are often incomplete or outdated. This limits the ability to anticipate and prevent future incidents. Roadscor introduces a groundbreaking methodology that uses advanced traffic simulation and automotive-grade scenario analysis (aligned with ISO 21448 – Safety of the Intended Functionality) to identify both known and unknown high-risk traffic conflicts - before they occur.

By simulating all physically possible interactions between road users, including pedestrians and cyclists, Roadscor enables traffic engineers to quantify safety risks and evaluate the impact of design changes or behavioral measures prior to implementation. This data-driven approach supports more effective, evidence-based decision-making and helps prioritize interventions where they will have the greatest impact. Ultimately, Roadscor empowers cities and road authorities to design safer, more inclusive infrastructure, accelerating progress toward Vision Zero goals.

For a long time our roads have prioritized movement, and their design was left to traffic engineers.

But with the many challenges we face, streets need to serve more purposes beyond traffic flow. Streets are shared public spaces that should serve more goals (SDGs) and should reflect the diverse needs of all users. To turn this conversation around we launched “De rechtvaardige straat”(The Just Street).

The five guiding principles of the manifesto reframe how streets can be viewed and shaped. Creating a more inclusive, safe, and a more social and vibrant space between buildings. Safety is emphasized through thoughtful design that invites walking, cycling, and lingering without fear. Key elements include variety, accessibility, and active public participation in shaping the street environment.

Supported by thousands of citizens and hundreds of organizations, we offer this community actionable tools: inspiring content, events, and an annual action week. Together, we reclaim the street as a truly public space—where even drivers feel safe from making unintended mistakes, and all users can coexist with confidence and care.

Our goal is nothing less than systemic change: towards streets that foster safety, equity, and livability for everyone. Through De Rechtvaardige Straat, we are building a new understanding of what purpose streets serve and in parallel outline a new standard for road design and use—one that values every life and every journey. More safe streets as a result of more just and human centered streets.

We are solving the two main unsettled topics in Camera and LiDAR Systems and human vision in traffic situations. The internally developed Visibility Label, featuring a new universally applicable reference color, addresses the first topic, which is the lack of a universal method for quantifying the visibility of complex shapes such as cars, bikes, and busses. Crystal Glass Pigments provide a solution for the second unresolved issue, focusing on improving the functionality (i.e. visibility) of coatings on vehicles. By formulating new colors with this innovative additive, the coatings become significantly better visible for camera systems, human vision at night, and LiDAR systems 24/7.

Nature in Gelderland is thriving, with a growing number of wild animals. This is a beautiful phenomenon, but unfortunately, it also brings an increased risk of accidents involving wild animals. The chances of a poor outcome for the animal are high, but there is also a significant risk of material damage and severe consequences for the driver. The risk of collisions with wildlife is especially higher during certain periods, specific times, and at certain locations. Think of dawn and dusk, and the transition to winter or summer time.

In the past, the Province of Gelderland has taken various measures by adjusting the infrastructure and influencing the behavior of wild animals. Examples of these measures include the installation of warning signs, wildlife grids, and boar disappearance blocks. However, it turns out that more is needed to tackle the problem.

Drivers often underestimate the risk of animals being along the roads in the forests. Despite the recommended speed limits, they often drive too fast and are not always aware of the risk of animals along the roads. Therefore, the province of Gelderland wants to place more emphasis on the behavior of road users. In response to this need, creative behavioral agency andc and behavioral agency Dijksterhuis and Van Baaren have developed a behavior-oriented approach, including interventions, to encourage road users to adhere to the recommended speed limits.

In the Netherlands cycling is the most important way of daily transportation. Sadly, over the past 10 years the amount of bicycle casualties in the Netherlands has increased by 40%, which is expected to increase even more by the popularity of the E-bike. In 2023, 71.000 cyclists were treated in hospitals (60% of all traffic casualties) with 12.500 having traumatic brain injury (16%). Traumatic brain injury often leads to permanent disability as neurons have no or just little recovery potential. A very simple and effective intervention is the voluntary promotion of bicycle helmet with estimated reduction of death 70% and brain injury by 60%. In Denmark, voluntary promotion of bicycle helmets has been very effective in reducing the amount of casualties, especially in children. When we started in 2022 with the first National Day of the bicycle helmet only 2% of the Dutch cyclists were wearing helmets.

The Netherlands is a country of cycling. There, the bike is an important means of transportation and elderly people are no exception to this. Cycling helps to keep people fit and included in their communities, but elderly people are unfortunately among the most at risk on a bike. The number of elderly cyclists injured in accidents has increased dramatically in the past 25 years.

The number of cycling victims with serious injuries has risen sharply in the past 10 years (40% in the period 2013-2022).

For example, the most recent figures show that in 2022, 88,800 cyclists will end up in the emergency department in the Netherlands. Of these, 57,000 cycling victims had serious injuries (VeiligheidNL). It is expected that the number of serious road injuries among cyclists in unilateral crashes will increase by 80% over the period 2018-2040. The over-65s are regarded as an important risk target group. The group aged 65 and over is growing, the share of the over 80s is growing, they are both becoming more mobile and more opting for the bicycle as a means of transport (SWOV)

Therefore, under the motto “do not get off, but keep on pedalling”, CycleOn aims to ensure that elderly people are included in the Dutch cycle network, by motivating them to continue enjoying the health and pleasure benefits of cycling while focusing on safety.

Road safety was the main motivation for initiating the project, with a focus on behavioural change rather than infrastructure. This initial emphasis on road safety quickly transformed into a broader project of promoting cycling among the elderly for the benefit of their health, happiness and social inclusion.

Every year there are road casualties among young drivers. In the period of 2015 to 2019, 92 road deaths were registered annually in which a young driver was involved (in The Netherlands). The risk for novice drivers of being involved in a traffic accident is 4.5 times higher than for experienced car drivers. Of the 1 million novice drivers, half are between the ages of 16 and 24. Young people are especially vulnerable on the road, not only because of their ongoing physical and mental development (more attracted to danger, less self-control, peer influence and lower risk assessment) but also due to existing risks on the road.

Novice drivers are a risk group for two main reasons: their lack of driving experience and risky behavior that is characteristic of young people (in the form of speeding). Because of these challenges they misjudge traffic situations. However, this can be trained. TeamAlert developed an intervention including an online training, based on scientific research, targetting novice drivers.

Road authorities are increasingly looking for effective road safety measures driven by data in order to succeed in the Vision Zero strategy which has been published by authorities in the national ‘Strategic plan road safety 2030’.

Driving behaviour data provides an important indicator of risk of accidents and road safety. This kind of data is very helpful to analyse how drivers behave and interact with the road infrastructure. For example: where does extreme driver behaviour occur frequently? For example frequent harsh braking on a specific road section can be the consequence of the road infrastructure. Driving behaviour data supports monitoring in an effective way. It enables authorities to check how road safety measures by improving infrastructure are affected driving behaviour.