Far less accidents on the motorways

Tuesday, 2 February 2021
IM recovery operators dealt with 18,370 accidents on IM roads in 2020. That was 32% down on the number in 2019, and the lowest figure since the founding of Stichting IMN in 1999. The drop was most noticeable on motorways, where the number of accidents fell from 20,890 in 2019 to 12,833 in 2020 (a decrease of 39%). On the underlying and urban IM-road network, the drop was restricted to 11%. In 2020, IM recovery operators were called out 77,498 times to recover breakdowns. That was 5% down on the 2020 figure. The total number of IM callouts came to 126,430, 12% less than in the previous year, but more than in 2018.




The last IM callout of 2020 was on 31 December, at 11.53 p.m., on the A7 at Hoogezand-Sappemeer. A driver who wanted to be home in time for New Year lost control, came off the road and the vehicle had to be recovered by Hamstra Internationaal Bergingsbedrijf. Eight minutes later, the first callout of the new year was recorded, a breakdown removal on the A6, north of Lelystad, and was outsourced to Delta Berging.

Ilona en Angelo Besems van Auto- en Bergingsbedrijf Besems

Ilona and Angelo Besems of Auto- en Bergingsbedrijf Besems

In 2020, Stichting IMN bade farewell to two of its contractual partners. Takel- en Bergingsbedrijf Quartel, in Schiedam, was declared insolvent on 7 July 2020. Less dramatic was the departure of Renses Automobielbedrijven Alkmaar. This company ceased its recovery work on 1 October 2020, so that it could concentrate on the new and used car trade. 2020 also saw the arrival of a new IM recovery operator: Auto- en Bergingsbedrijf Besems was granted IM work for two areas to the east of Tilburg. From 1 February 2021, the company will be presiding over an area that includes the A58 and A65 around Oisterwijk and Moergestel.

IM callouts 2020

Callout type 2020 2019 Increase
Accident18.37027.141-32% 
Breakdown removal77.49881.263-5% 
Security3.5813.25110% 
Unattended vehicle2.5582.768-8% 
Wasted trip24.42328.739-15% 
 
Main road network109.604125.697-13% 
Underlying road network16.82617.465-4% 
 
Police14.13721.857-35% 
RWS87.55792.498-5% 
ANWB/Control centre22.46326.789-16% 
EDO/Flitsmeister2.2732.01813% 
 
Total126.430143.162-12% 

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