Rather positive trend in road safety, except for cyclists
There were 37,643 road traffic accidents in 2022, bringing the total of casualties to 46,074, including 42,134 slightly injured, 3,400 seriously injured and 540 persons who died within 30 days of the accident. This is what emerged from the latest figures on road traffic accidents published by Statbel, the Belgian statistical office.
The 100 fatalities mark among cyclists has been passed
Even if the majority (40%) of people who died within 30 days are car drivers (216 persons), cyclists accounted for a fifth (19%) of those fatalities. 102 cyclists died within 30 days of an accident in 2022. This is a 7.4% increase compared to 2019. While all road safety indicators have shown a downward trend for years, the number of cyclists involved in traffic accidents continues to rise.
Fatalities are mainly people over 50 years old and, in 37% of deaths due to a bicycle accident, the victim is 70 years old or more. In addition, as many people over 70 died on an electrically-assisted bicycle (all types) as on a conventional bicycle. People over 70 account for half of the people who died on an electric bicycle, while they only account for 15.1% of the total of fatalities.
Decrease in the number of victims compared to 2019
Compared to 2021, all indicators are on the rise: there were indeed 8.6% more accidents accounting for 8.1% more victims and causing the death of 4.7% more persons. However, comparisons with 2021 need to be qualified, as there was significantly less traffic then because of the government measures to mitigate the effects of Covid-19.
Compared to 2019, last year before Covid-19, there were just fewer accidents (-0.2%), but there was a clearer reduction in the number of casualties (-3.7%), 30-day fatalities (-16.1%), seriously injured (-5.7%) and slightly injured (-3.3%).
Compared to 2019, the number of persons who died within 30 days of an accident is down by 24.3% in Wallonia and by 10.5% in Flanders, but increases in the Brussels-Capital Region from 20 to 24.
| 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2022/2019 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brussels-Capital Region | |||||
| Number of accidents | 3,928 | 3,224 | 3,545 | 4,172 | +6.2% |
| Number of persons who died within 30 days | 20 | 16 | 8 | 24 | +20.0% |
| Number of seriously injured | 178 | 159 | 136 | 204 | +14.6% |
| Number of slightly injured | 4,401 | 3,552 | 3,972 | 4,643 | +5.5% |
| Flemish Region | |||||
| Number of accidents | 23,078 | 18,663 | 21,220 | 23,381 | +1.3% |
| Number of persons who died within 30 days | 315 | 253 | 310 | 282 | -10.5% |
| Number of seriously injured | 2,478 | 2,055 | 2,216 | 2,389 | -3.6% |
| Number of slightly injured | 26,274 | 20,491 | 23,291 | 25,700 | -2.2% |
| Walloon Region | |||||
| Number of accidents | 10,713 | 8,364 | 9,895 | 10,090 | -5.8% |
| Number of persons who died within 30 days | 309 | 230 | 198 | 234 | -24.3% |
| Number of seriously injured | 949 | 764 | 767 | 807 | -15.0% |
| Number of slightly injured | 12,908 | 9,630 | 11,742 | 11,791 | -8.7% |
Compared to 2019, the number of people who died within 30 days only increased in the provinces of Namur (+16.3%) and West Flanders (+19.3%). All the other provinces saw a fall in deaths, led by Luxembourg (-38.8%) and Hainaut (-36.5%).
Who are the victims of road traffic accidents?
In 2022, the majority of persons who died within 30 days were drivers (216), followed by cyclists (102), pedestrians (83) and motorcyclists (66). The sum of these 4 categories account for 86.5% of the people who died within 30 days.
Compared to 2019, cars register a 30.5% decrease in the number of persons who died within 30 days (from 311 in 2019 to 216 in 2022). We also see a decrease (-9.8%) among pedestrians (from 92 in 2019 to 83 in 2022). Vans registered an increase of 58.8% in the number of fatalities compared to 2019, while there is a stagnation for heavy goods vehicles.
| 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2022/2019 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Car[1] | 311 | 221 | 215 | 216 | -30.5% |
| Van | 17 | 11 | 28 | 27 | +58.8% |
| Heavy goods vehicle[2] | 11 | 17 | 15 | 11 | 0.0% |
| Motorcycle[3] | 84 | 78 | 62 | 66 | -21.4% |
| Moped[4] | 19 | 13 | 16 | 17 | -10.5% |
| Pedestrian[5] | 92 | 65 | 75 | 83 | -9.8% |
| Bicycle[6] | 95 | 87 | 87 | 102 | +7.4% |
| Others[7] | 10 | 6 | 11 | 14 | +40.0% |
| Unknown | 5 | 1 | 7 | 4 | -20.0% |
| Total | 644 | 499 | 516 | 540 | -16.1% |
| 1 passenger car; twin-purpose car; minibus; camping vehicle 2 truck, tractor + semi-trailer; tractor alone 3 less than 400 cc and more than 400 cc 4° A, B, with 3 or 4 wheels 5 Other pedestrian, person in a wheelchair, pedestrian with a two-wheeled vehicle 6 regular, electric, motorised bicycle, speed pedelec 7 Agricultural tractor, bus, coach, tram, rider, other user, carriage |
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Verkeersongevallen met doden en gewonden, voor België en de gewesten, laatste 8 jaar
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Purpose and short description
Statbel has been compiling statistics on road accidents since 1 July 1926. These statistics are based on a form that must be completed by the police services in the event of any accident on the road claiming casualties. Over time, this form has been adapted several times according to the evolution of society and road phenomena.
Survey population
Road traffic accidents with personal injury in Belgium which resulted in a police report.
Data collection method and sample size
Administrative data : on-site police records and investigation by prosecutors.
Périodicité
Annuel
Release calendar
Availability of results: 6 months after the reference period.
Definitions
Accident: an accident between two or more road users is considered as one accident. Only accidents on public roads and claiming casualties are included in these statistics. Are therefore excluded: collisions and accidents on private property or at sports events. Accidents with material damage only are no longer included since 1973.
Death 30 days: any person who died on the scene or within 30 days after the accident.
Serious casualty: any person injured in a road accident whose condition requires hospitalisation of more than 24 hours.
Light casualty: any person injured in a road accident who is not classified under fatal or serious casualty.
Car: passenger cars; twin-purpose cars; minibuses; camping vehicles.
Van: van
Truck: truck, tractor + semi-trailers; tractor alone.
Bus: bus; coach.
Moped: moped A (two wheels), moped B (two wheels), moped with 3 or 4 wheels.
Motorcycle: motorcycle not exceeding 400 cc, motorcycle exceeding 400 cc.
Bicyle: bicycle
Pedestrian:disabled person in a wheelchair; pedestrian with a two-wheeled vehicle; other pedestrian.
Other: agricultural tractor; trolleybus; rider; carriage; other user; unknown, unavailable.
Remarks
Quality of the figures: Death data are the most reliable and stable data. Indeed, it is more than likely that a fatal accident will be the subject of police or prosecutorial intervention. Data on light casualties are most likely underestimated, especially for vulnerable road users (pedestrians and cyclists). Belgian and international studies estimate the police registration rate at 90% for fatal accidents (data from prosecutors, however, allow us to improve these results). It is around 50% for casualties requiring hospitalisation and less than 20% for very light casualties (not requiring hospitalisation).
Data from 2005 to 2017 have been revised by police services. Statbel updated its road accident data in June 2018. There is a large number of unknown data for some important variables (municipality, road conditions, and weather conditions, among others) between 2005 and 2017. It is less a problem for the most recent years. The most recent release always prevails.