That’s a bizarre number of people who continue to drive every day after an accident

Driving after an accident is not only a criminal offense, but also morally questionable, to say the least. Yet it happens surprisingly often at any time of day.

In the Netherlands, at least eight people drive away every hour after an accident. In total, reports were made about 74,000 times last year, according to an analysis of police numbers by Independer.

Driving after an accident

Every day, an average of 208 people drive through after hitting another road user or causing damage to a parked car, for example.

Entitlement to guarantee fund

Victims of a hit-and-run may be eligible for the Guarantee Fund. Everyone with car insurance contributes to this. In 2022, the fund paid out 68 million euros.

Which province has the most?

In which province are hit-and-runs reported the most? In Limburg (5.2 reports per 1000 inhabitants), followed by South Holland (5.1) and North Holland (4.5). The fewest reports were in Friesland (2.6) and Zeeland (2.9).

There are big differences depending on the community

At the local level, the differences are significantly greater. In Rotterdam (where there are most charging points) there were 8.2 reports per 1000 inhabitants in 2023. Twice the national average. Heerlen (7.8), Beek (7.7), Ouder-Amstel (7.3) and Kerkrade (7.2) also performed poorly.

Driving after an accident is a criminal offense

Driving after an accident is a criminal offense. The maximum penalty is three months and the fine is 8,100 euros. Someone can also lose their driver’s license for five years.

By the way, there is an exception to the law. If a person reports to the police within twelve hours of the collision, they will not be prosecuted for driving through.