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End in sight for wasted trips
Wednesday, 8 January 2025
For the first time since 2013, in 2024 there was no increase in the number of IM reports. IM recovery operators were called out on 205,641 occasions to remove cars from the Dutch primary road network. That was more than 4,000 (2%) fewer than the year before. The number of actual vehicle recoveries continued to increase: from 157,415 to 165,182 (up 5%). But the number of wasted trips fell sharply: from 42,378 to 31,904 (down 25%). The number of security callouts also fell.
Automobielbedrijf Boersma at work after an accident caused by a slippery road surface on the Centrale As (N365) at Dokkum on the morning of 21 November 2024 (photo credit: 112Fryslân)
The drop in the number of wasted trips was the result of a targeted campaign by Rijkswaterstaat and Stichting IMN. In the first instance, this focused on tackling the issue of so-called double reports. These are cases in which a single incident leads to two or more reports to Stichting IMN's National Response Centre (LCM) which, consequently, result in two or more callouts to the recovery operator. In callouts such as these, the second is almost always a false alarm. The Rijkswaterstaat Traffic Control Centres intensified their efforts to prevent double reports, as did the LCM, which, apart from Rijkswaterstaat, also receives reports from the ANWB and the police.
IM callouts in 2024
| Callout type | 2024 | 2023 | Groei |
|---|---|---|---|
| Accident | 26.571 | 26.695 | -0% |
| Breakdown removal | 135.651 | 127.820 | 6% |
| Security | 8.555 | 10.048 | -15% |
| Unattended vehicle | 2.960 | 2.900 | 2% |
| Wasted trip | 31.904 | 42.378 | -25% |
| Main road network | 175.080 | 180.400 | -3% |
| Underlying road network | 30.561 | 29.441 | 4% |
| Police | 3.960 | 4.259 | -7% |
| RWS | 150.511 | 146.076 | 3% |
| ANWB/Control centre | 51.158 | 53.847 | -5% |
| EDO/Flitsmeister | 12 | 5.659 | -100% |
| Total | 205.641 | 209.841 | -2% |
The number of wasted trips was further reduced when the decision was taken to stop accepting reports from the System for the Electronic Detection of Accidents ("EDO"). This system generated reports on the basis of accident alerts and so-called 'floating' data from the company Flitsmeister. The EDO often reported accidents four or five minutes earlier than Rijkswaterstaat or the police. However, this meant that almost half of the EDO reports resulted in a wasted trip. It was decided to decommission the system at the end of 2023.
IM reports from 2010 to 2024 inclusive
26,571 accidents were dealt with on the primary road network. That was nearly as many as in 2023, and 3% fewer than the record that was established in 2019. The number of IM reports from the ANWB fell slightly in 2024. This drop was most noticeable in the second half of the year.