SWOV fact sheets
SWOV publishes fact sheets on a wide range of road safety subjects.
To the fact sheets.
SWOV Library
In the Netherlands the SWOV library is the national centre for road safety literature. Consult the online catalogue for recent publications
SWOV workshop
On 16 and 17 November 2009, SWOV organized the international workshop Scientific Research on Road Safety Management. About 50 experts from all over the world took part in this workshop.
Visit ERSO for international road safety information
Knowledge base
- Sustainable Safety
vision, implementation... - Road safety developments
mobility, risk, casualties... - Road safety policy
targets, costs, benefits... - Road safety costs
crash costs, road deaths...
- Modes of transport
pedestrians, bicyclist, cars... - High-risk behaviour
alcohol, drugs, telephone, fatigue... - High-risk groups
children, youngsters, elderly... - Measures
education, enforcement, technology... - Data and analysis
sources, analyzing...
News
Research programme 2003-2006 completed
SWOV's 45th anniversary coincided with the end of the four year programme 2003-2006. To celebrate this occasion SWOV organized a congress on April 26 2007 in the New Church in The Hague. A special publication was made to present the research results of this period.
Dutch vision of successful road safety policy, Sustainable Safety, now internationally available
Sustainable Safety, the vision that has been an important basis for the successful Dutch road safety policy since 1992, has been updated and published under the title Advancing Sustainable Safety. This update is now integrally available in an English edition. On 3rd November the Dutch Minister of Transport Karla Peijs presented the first copies to her European colleagues at the EU Road Safety Conference in Verona, Italy. With this publication, SWOV wants to inspire the international road safety professionals with examples of how they too can improve road safety in their countries.
Read the SWOV press release...
SWOV: Keep minimum age for riding a motorcycle at 18
SWOV thinks it is unwise to permit 16 year olds to ride a light motorcycle (up to 125cc). A motorcycle has a much higher death rate than, for example, a car. Motorcyclists are particularly vulnerable in traffic. On the one hand, this has to do with the vehicle itself and, one the other hand, it is due to the age-related unsafe behaviour together with lack of knowledge and experience.
SWOV position Demerit points system: level of police enforcement and public information crucial for success
All the attention, as well as the publicity, around the introduction of a demerit points system will initially have a positive road safety effect. Based on international experience and research it is known that the long term effect of demerit points systems depends on a sufficient level of police enforcement (chance of being caught).
Research Activities
Research Activities 32 - August 2006 - has been published. It contains articles about the SUNflower+6
project, about the Sustainable Safety principle of 'predictability, about measures to solve blind spot problems, and about many other topics.
Targets for road deaths 2010 and 2020 can be lowered
Fewer mopedists, less speeding and alcohol offences, and increased seatbelt use resulted in fewer road deaths in 2004 and 2005
The strong decrease in road deaths during the last two years was not coincidental. Part of the decrease was because mopeds were ridden less, there were less speeding offences, there was less drink-driving, and the seatbelt was worn more often. This is what SWOV Institute for Road Safety Research concludes in its recent report entitled: The essence of the decrease in the number of road deaths; Recent developments and new prognoses for 2010 and 2020.
In 2004 the number of road deaths decreased by 19% compared with 2003, to 881. In 2005 the number decreased further, by 7%, to 817.
To the report [in Dutch, but with an English summary]
SUNflower+6:
Comparative study of the development of road safety in nine European countries now available
Understanding the past in order to learn lessons for the future is the essence of the SUNflower methodology designed to compare the development of road safety in different European countries.
The number of road deaths continues to decrease
Karla Peijs, Dutch Minister of Transport, today made known the road crash figures for 2005.
To the Ministery of Transport's press release
Comparative European study:
Positive judgement about road safety in the Netherlands
The number of road traffic casualties has been decreasing during the last decades in many European countries, including the Netherlands. However, the speed at which the numbers are decreasing is probably insufficient to achieve the European Commission's target of 50% less road deaths in 2010 than in 2000. If the impressive decrease in the Netherlands since 2000 continues to 2010, this country with be an exception.
Read the press release