More accidents on re-profiled A4 at Leiden

Tuesday 14 June 2016
The number of accidents on the A4 at Leiden rose significantly in 2015. Bergingscentrale Bollenstreek, the local contracted incident-management recovery service, dealt with 135 accidents last year between Leiderdorp and Zoeterwoude. This is a 30% rise on 2014, and almost 35% up on 2013. The stretch of motorway in question has been completely reconstructed in the past few years, and was fully opened in October 2014.

More accidents on re-profiled A4 at Leiden

Recovery on the A4 at driver location sign Li 32.1 on 15 April 2016, carried out by Vreugdenhil Berging (photo K. Jonge)

Most accidents occurred on the west-bound carriageway, carrying traffic in the direction of The Hague, between the driver location signs at 32.0 and 33.9 km. There were 54 collisions here last year, three times as many as in 2014. This section of motorway runs through an underpass. At the end of this section is the exit to the N11 and the newly constructed A4 access road. Just after this exit, the number of lanes on the main carriageway narrows from three to two.

This narrowing of the road means that there is often congestion at the end of the underpass, adjacent to the exit. The combination of road-narrowing, underpass and exit makes drivers perform manoeuvres at that point that do not always end successfully.

Accidents on the A4 between Leiderdorp and Zoeterwoude, 2010 - 2015


A4 Left (east carriageway) 2010 2014 2015
4Li - 31,0 - 31,9393
4Li - 32,0 - 32,941614
4Li - 33,0 - 33,91288
4Li - 34,0 - 34,919138
4Li - 35,0 - 35,9281314
4Li - 36,0 - 36,9165
 
Total east carriageway676552

A4 Rechts (west carriageway) 2010 2014 2015
4Re - 31,0 - 31,9567
4Re - 32,0 - 32,941027
4Re - 33,0 - 33,97827
4Re - 34,0 - 34,95610
4Re - 35,0 - 35,9342
4Re - 36,0 - 36,9165
 
Total west carriageway323983

Total 2010 2014 2015
Total99104135

On the other carriageway of the A4, for traffic heading towards Amsterdam, the number of accidents dropped in 2015, at the exit for Zoeterwoude Dorp in particular. Between the driver location signs at 34.0 and 35.9 km, the incident management recovery service was called upon on 22 occasions. In 2010, before the current upgrading of the road, that number was 47.


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