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While the numbers show modest progress, the European Commission warns that the EU’s goals remain extremely ambitious: cutting road deaths by half by 2030 and reaching zero fatalities by 2050.

With 45 deaths per million inhabitants, the EU remains one of the safest regions in the world. But progress is uneven. Lithuania achieved a striking 22% reduction in fatalities, followed by Latvia (–19%) and Austria (–13%), largely thanks to targeted safety reforms. By contrast, Estonia (+17%) and Cyprus (+21%) recorded increases—though from relatively small baseline numbers.

A closer look at Member States reveals a persistent divide. Sweden (20 deaths per million) and Denmark (24) remain at the top for road safety, while Romania (78) and Bulgaria (74) lag far behind. Poland, despite a 35% improvement since 2019, still reports 52 deaths per million—above the EU average.

Experts stress that infrastructure alone is not enough. Social factors—road safety education, driving culture, and strong enforcement—are equally important. Data from the CARE database confirms that technology can help, but lasting change depends on people’s behaviour.

Own work based on: https://transport.ec.europa.eu/news-events/news/road-safety-statistics-2024-progress-continues-amid-persistent-challenges-2025-10-17_en

Leaders and Laggards in Road Safety

The first half of 2025 brought signs of improvement in Poland, Greece, Czechia, Romania, Portugal, and Slovakia. The European Commission attributes this to investments in speed control, education, and upgraded local roads. Yet in some countries the trend reversed, showing that even temporary policy slowdowns can quickly lead to more fatalities.

“Despite progress, nearly 20,000 deaths on EU roads remain completely unacceptable. Road safety must be a shared effort—from local authorities to every single driver,” said Transport Commissioner Apostolos Tzitzikostas.

Own work based on: https://transport.ec.europa.eu/news-events/news/road-safety-statistics-2024-progress-continues-amid-persistent-challenges-2025-10-17_en

Celebrating Excellence: Why Good Practices Matter

One day before the new statistics were published, the Commission held the Road Safety Excellence Awards (16 October), honouring 15 projects selected from more than 100 nominations under the European Road Safety Charter.

Awarded initiatives included FlineBox (Ireland/Belgium), promoting safe decision-making behind the wheel; Volvo Car España’s educational project for children; and Easy Drivers Radfahrschule in Austria, helping seniors cycle safely. The tech-driven Lanternn project (Spain/Ireland) stood out for its use of AI and data to assess risks.

In the urban category, Métropole de Lyon won for improving safety around secondary schools. The public award went to Greece’s “30 marathons at 30 km/h” campaign—proof that local actions can genuinely shift driving culture.

Vision Zero Under Pressure

The EU’s long-term Vision Zero strategy aims to reduce deaths and serious injuries by 50% by 2030 and eliminate road fatalities completely by 2050. The European Court of Auditors has already warned that without stronger action, these goals will remain out of reach.

New initiatives now include updating EU driving licence rules, improving cross-border enforcement of traffic violations, and strengthening vehicle safety requirements. But success depends on consistent implementation at all levels—EU, national, and especially local, where many municipalities lack the resources to act.

A Partnership for Safer Roads

Also on 16 October, the second edition of Road Safety Exchange concluded. The programme brought together experts from 19 countries to share know-how and promote effective safety practices.

Its results are already visible:

  • Lithuania introduced new road-design standards,

  • Romania launched automated processing centres for traffic fines,

  • Greece implemented 30 km/h urban speed limits.

The third edition, funded by the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF), will begin in late 2025 and bring in more partners. For the Commission, this is a reminder that road safety is not only about building safer roads—it is about learning together, sharing solutions, and ensuring consistent, long-term implementation.

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