Weggebruikersbestuurders

Weggebruikersbestuurders is a Dutch term used in traffic safety and policy discourse to refer to individuals who drive vehicles on public roads. It is a compound of weggebruikers (road users) and bestuurders (drivers). In practice, it typically includes anyone who operates a vehicle, such as motorists, cyclists who ride their bicycle, bus and taxi drivers, and truck drivers; pedestrians are generally road users but not always classified as bestuurders.

Legal framework and usage: In Dutch traffic law, the term bestuurder appears in the Wegenverkeerswet and in the Reglement verkeersregels en verkeerstekens; weggebruikers is the broader category used in traffic safety literature. The concept of weggebruikersbestuurders emphasizes the responsibility of drivers toward others, including yielding to pedestrians, maintaining a safe distance, obeying speed limits, and signaling intentions.

Policy and safety: The term is used in studies and policy debates to assess compliance, risk factors, and interventions aimed at improving shared-road safety. It highlights that road safety is a collective responsibility with drivers playing a central role due to the potential consequences of their decisions.

Limitations: The expression can be ambiguous; some contexts treat weggebruikers and bestuurders as overlapping categories, while pedestrians are not typically called bestuurders. Critics argue that a fixed label may obscure the diversity of road users and responsibilities; many texts prefer to use the separate terms or specify the vehicle type.

See also: Road safety; Dutch traffic law; Wegenverkeerswet; RVV (Reglement verkeersregels en verkeerstekens).