Urgent road safety improvements needed throughout Europe: significant changes still required
The European Transport Safety Council (ETSC) has expressed concern over the slow progress in reducing road fatalities across Europe, with the COVID-19 pandemic being the main cause for the minimal advancement in 2020. Despite the setback, the ETSC's 19th report highlights a continued slow decrease in road fatality rates, but stresses that much more needs to be done to meet the target of halving road deaths by 2030.
According to the report, from 2019 to 2024, road deaths in Europe have decreased by only 12%, while a reduction of 27% would have been necessary to stay on track with the targets. Eight European countries have registered an increase in fatalities, including Switzerland and Estonia, while Lithuania is among the few states that have made significant progress, with a decrease of 35% in road deaths compared to 2019.
Urban roads in Italy had the worst trend, with a +7.9% increase in fatal accidents, affecting pedestrians and cyclists significantly. The spring road injury statistics, often considered underestimated, indicate a very critical situation. Italy's number of road fatalities in 2024 remained substantially unchanged from 2023, with 3,039 deaths.
In light of these findings, the ETSC proposes a mix of solutions to accelerate Europe’s progress in reducing road deaths by the 2030 target. These include sustained investment in road safety infrastructure, stricter enforcement of traffic laws, promoting safer vehicle design, adopting a comprehensive new traffic safety paradigm, encouraging smart growth and urban design, and data-driven monitoring and sharing of best practices.
The council emphasises the need for improvement in countries where fatality rates are higher, particularly in Balkan and Eastern European countries. Success stories like Norway, which won the PIN Award 2025 for its systemic approach to road safety, aiming for fewer than 50 annual deaths by 2030 and none by 2050, serve as examples. In 2024, Norway had the lowest road mortality rate in Europe, with just 16 deaths per million inhabitants.
The ETSC's proposals for a comprehensive new traffic safety paradigm include multiple strategies such as roadway and vehicle design improvements, graduated driving licenses and senior driver testing, anti-impaired and distracted driving campaigns, mandatory seatbelt and helmet use, and traffic speed reductions. The approach also emphasises improvements to walking, cycling, and public transport infrastructure to reduce reliance on cars, which has been linked to lower crash rates.
As the EU's goal of halving road deaths by 2030 remains far away, requiring an annual decrease of 6.7%, the ETSC urges swift and concerted action to ensure the safety of Europe's roads for all users.
The ETSC's proposals for a comprehensive new traffic safety paradigm extend to financing safer vehicle designs and transport infrastructure within the industry. The council also emphasizes the importance of adopting this approach in countries that currently struggle with high road fatality rates, such as those in Balkan and Eastern European regions.
