Road fatality statistics in the EU

Every year thousands of people lose their lives or are seriously injured in accidents on EU roads. Between 2010 and 2019, the number of road deaths in Europe decreased by 23%,but figures show that while eight countries recorded their lowest fatality rate in 2019, the decrease in the fatality rate has slowed in most member states.

In 2019, the EU countries with the best road safety records were Sweden and Ireland, while the member states with the worst ones were Romania, Bulgaria and Poland.

In 2018, 12% of people killed on EU roads were aged between 18 and 24, while only 8% of the European population falls within this age group. This means that young people are disproportionately more likely to be involved in a fatal road accident. However, fatalities among this age group have dropped 43% since 2010.

The proportion of elderly fatalities (aged 65 and over) rose from 22% in 2010 to 28% in 2018. Children under 15 years old accounted for 2%.

Three quarters (76%) of EU-wide road fatalities are male, a pattern relatively unchanged since 2010 and which is similar across all EU countries.

What the EU is doing to improve road safety

On 16 April 2019, MEPs adopted new rules to make 30 advanced safety features mandatory, such as intelligent speed assistance, driver distraction warning and emergency braking system.

Compulsory safety technologies could help save more than 25,000 lives and avoid at least 140,000 serious injuries by 2038, given that human error is involved in about 95% of all road traffic accidents.

To make roads safer, the EU also strengthened the rules on the management of infrastructure safety and is working to ensure common rules for self-driving vehicles.