Road transport in the Netherlands

[citation needed] Mobility on Dutch roads has grown continuously since the 1950s and now exceeds 200 billion km travelled per year.

[7] Goods vehicles make up 20% of total traffic,[3] and road transport accounts for 40% of all freight movements registered, including overseas shipping.

The Netherlands' first centrally planned highway system dates back to the early 19th century, when Napoleon was emperor of France, and the Kingdom of Holland was annexed into the French empire.

In 1811 Napoleon decreed that a network of 229 paved imperial roads (Routes Impériales [fr]) would be created, extending from Paris to the borders of his empire.

[17] Contrary to North America, mass motorisation in Europe mostly took off after World War II, and traffic deaths in the Netherlands rose steadily since the 1950s, peaking at 3,267 in 1972.

[18][19][20] From then onwards road safety was consistently improved, reducing fatalities by 83% compared to 1972, to a record low of 570 in 2013[15] and 2014.

Porous Asphalt Concrete has some downsides, including the initial construction costs, PAC is two to three times more expensive than regular surface materials, and needs constant maintenance, especially with heavy traffic.

Sometimes, the road surface has to be renewed within 7 years, especially on routes with heavy truck traffic causing widespread track formation.

These electronic signs can show a lower speed limit, as low as 50 km/h, to warn drivers for upcoming traffic jams and accidents.

The number of passing motorised vehicles is counted every minute of the day at some 20,000 measuring stations on the Dutch motorway network.

These constructions allow motorists to use the hard shoulder in case of congestion, to improve the traffic flow.

They improved traffic flow, breakdowns, there are fewer places to safely park your vehicle, leading to more congestion.

The Dutch government initiated a plan to establish over 200 recharging stations for electric vehicles across the country by 2015.

The rollout will be undertaken by Switzerland-based power and automation company ABB and Dutch startup Fastned, and will aim to provide at least one station every 50 kilometres (31 miles) for the Netherlands' 17 million residents.

The high population density generates significant traffic volumes on both motorways and regular highways.