Fewer police reports to LCM

Friday 25 February 2011
The Incident Management Coordination Centre ("LCM") of Stichting Incident Management Nederland ("Stichting Incident Management Nederland") continues to receive ever less reports from the police control rooms. While the total number of car accidents has remained stable over the past few years, the number of reports to the LCM via the police has fallen considerably, from 102,139 in 2007 to 74,615 in 2010 (-/-27%). In response to all of these reports, the LCM immediately called in a recovery company and passed on details of the accident to the responsible insurance firm. The fall in the number of police reports mainly related to roads without incident management ("IM") in the underlying road network. There, over a period of three years, the number of police reports fell by 37% from 64,381 to 40,694. On IM roads, the number of police reports fell from 37,758 in 2007 to 33,291 in 2010.

Origin of LCM reports underlying road network (non-IM)20072010
Police64.38140.694
Other239628
Total64.62041.322

Herkomst LCM-meldingen op IM-wegen20072010
Police37.75832.904
Rijkswaterstaat4.29527.527
ANWB3.7496.478
Other417
Total45.80267.326

In the majority of cases, police reports are a response to telephone calls from road users, to the emergency number 112. The accidents reported are passed on by the 112 exchange to the police control room. Control room staff then call the LCM. The figures seem to suggest that 112 reports of accidents on the underlying road network result on ever fewer occasions in a report to the LCM. This probably relates to the recent decision by the police that dealing with incidents is no longer a core activity.

The strong arm only intervenes in accidents resulting in (injury) victims or major traffic disruptions. On motorways, the police has passed on the handling of "simple" accidents to the road inspectors of Rijkswaterstaat. On roads with no IM in the underlying road network, from busy N-roads to residential areas, it is increasingly the car driver himself who initiates the callout by calling his insurer via the telephone number on the green insurance card or the accident claim form. Without intervention of the LCM, the insurer then calls in a recovery company and any other assistance needed by the parties involved.

Type of LCM report on IM roads20072010
Accident22.51221.376
Breakdown movement10.23026.856
Unattended vehicle2.0384.084
Wasted callout11.02215.010
Total45.80267.326

The total number of reports dealt with by the LCM remained practically unchanged between 2007 and 2010. The tables show that the major downturn in the number of reports on the underlying road network (non-IM) was compensated for by a slightly greater rise in the number of reports on IM roads, where there was a huge increase in the numbers of reports by Rijkswaterstaat and the ANWB car owners club. Growth was partly due to the introduction of road inspectors. Their arrival gave the road manager an active role in reporting accidents, breakdowns and abandoned vehicles. The ANWB also made greater use of the LCM, reporting breakdowns at hazardous points, for transport to a safer location.

SIMN - Mauritskade 5 - 2514 HC The Hague - Tel 070 365 76 02 - Fax 070 30 600 52 -