More traffic accidents than ever: Rijkswaterstaat solidly expands number of road inspectors

Ten percent additional road inspectors

In total, the capacity of road inspectors is being structurally expanded by 38 FTEs, an increase of over ten percent. Currently, there are about 300 road inspectors. “Expansion is necessary to cope with the growing number of incidents. On the main road network, the number of breakdowns and accidents is increasing year on year due to increased road congestion. Road inspectors ensure the safety and smooth handling of these incidents,” Rijkswaterstaat said in a statement.

“Rijkswaterstaat is responsible for safety and traffic flow on Dutch highways in the event of an accident.”

Delay to fellow road users

Minister Madlener says: “Incidents on the road are not only annoying for the drivers involved, but also lead to delays for other road users. At a time when we all want to keep moving. Road inspectors at Rijkswaterstaat are therefore working hard to resolve such situations so that everyone can get on with their work as quickly as possible. This expansion is an important step in improving the flow of traffic on our roads.”

Affected vehicles quickly removed

Rijkswaterstaat is responsible for safety and traffic flow on Dutch highways in the event of an accident. Road inspectors ensure that other emergency services can also do their work quickly and safely and involved vehicles are removed quickly.

Traffic congestion increased

Traffic congestion and the number of so-called incident reports have increased significantly in recent years. Forecasts by the KiM (Netherlands Institute for Transport Policy Research) show that this trend will continue in the coming years. The increase is partly due to the rising number of motorists and number of breakdowns. Motorists are also more often distracted, resulting in incidents.