You can hardly miss them, but the bright yellow pickups of the Department of Public Works are being hit more and more often

January 14, 2025

Important task

Rijkswaterstaat’s highways inspectors have an important job: they ensure the smooth and safe flow of traffic. They are often the first at the scene of breakdowns or accidents, arrange for emergency services, and ensure that things are safely cordoned off. So they are literally in the line of fire, often right next to raging traffic. That’s why Department of Public Works vehicles are equipped with distinctive colors and reflective elements, so you can’t overlook them – or at least, you’d think so.

Alarm

But that’s disappointing. The Department of Public Works is sounding the alarm: the number of collisions involving the distinctive yellow pickups has risen sharply in the past year. In 2024, there were as many as sixteen collisions, a sharp increase compared to previous years. It is becoming a serious problem for the safety of the people who work day in and day out along Dutch roads.

Alert

Rijkswaterstaat is therefore calling on all road users to be extra alert. Just checking your phone, setting the navigation or doing other things behind the wheel can have fatal consequences. Do you see a red cross above the road? Then that lane is not for you. That way you will get home safely, and so will the road inspectors.

_{Header photo: Department of Public Works}