Road safety statistics for 2024 show progress continues amid challenges

In 2024, 19,940 people lost their lives in road crashes across the EU, according to statistics released by the European Commission last Friday. This represents a 2% decrease compared to 2023 and marks continued, but slow, progress toward the EU's Vision Zero goal of halving road deaths and serious injuries by 2030 and getting close to eliminating them by 2050.

The overall ranking of countries' fatality rates has not changed significantly: Sweden (20 deaths per million inhabitants) and Denmark (24/million) continue to have the safest roads in the EU, while Romania (78/million) and Bulgaria (74/million) reported the highest fatality rates in 2024.

Provisional data for the first six months of 2025 shows mixed trends across Member States. While some countries like Greece, Czechia, Romania, and Slovakia are giving positive signals with declining fatalities, others face renewed challenges. These early indicators underscore that road safety requires constant vigilance and sustained effort. The Commission will continue to monitor these trends closely and support Member States in addressing emerging concerns.

Sustainable Transport and Tourism Commissioner Apostolos Tzitzikostas (pictured) stated: “While these figures show continued progress, we must always remember that behind every statistic there are families and communities in pain. The fact that nearly 20,000 people lost their lives in road crashes last year is unacceptable. The European Commission will keep supporting all member states in making roads safer. But this is a shared effort: governments, the industry, and every road user have a role to play in ensuring every trip ends safely.”

In this context, the Excellence in Road Safety Award winners were revealed. Their innovative road safety initiatives contribute to the common goal of improving road safety across Europe.

More information on the 2024 road safety statistics and the award winners is available online.

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