Four deaths due to Brussels tram and bus accidents in 2014

The Brussels public transport company STIB in 2014 reported 250 injuries to people who were involved in an accident with a tram or bus, in addition to four lives that were lost in the same year. The figures were provided by Brussels mobility minister Pascal Smet in response to a request from Brussels MP Benoît Cerexhe. The four deaths were three pedestrians (one a suicide) and one cyclist.

The figures show that some bus and tram lines are more prone to accidents than others, simply because they pass through more traffic congested areas, such as Chaussée de Wavre or Avenue Louise, writes Brusselnieuws. Bus lines 95, 59 and 48 and tram lines 81, 92 and 93 are especially accident-prone as they regularly cross busy streets. The six lines accounted for 852 accidents in 2014, which also include minor fender benders such as broken side mirrors.

While the number of accidents reported by STIB between 2010 and 2014 remained more or less constant, the figures “actually mean there was a decrease,” according to STIB spokesperson An van Hamme on Brusselnieuws, “as the number of journeys during the same period increased by 1.3 million."

Van Hamme adds that STIB is taking measures to reduce the number of accidents, such as conducting a structural analysis after each accident and organising refresher courses in defensive driving.