Skip to main content

Concern over decline in Europe’s road safety

An increase in road fatalities and serious injuries has been recorded for 2015. This has become clear following the publication of the European Commission’s 2015 provisional road safety figures. The data reveals an increase in fatalities compared to the previous year. And even in 2014, there was only a 0.6% reduction, and it had been the first year for some time without a significant drop in deaths and injuries. This stagnation means that the EU is further away from its goal of halving road deaths by 2020.
March 31, 2016 Read time: 2 mins
An increase in road fatalities and serious injuries has been recorded for 2015. This has become clear following the publication of the European Commission’s 2015 provisional road safety figures. The data reveals an increase in fatalities compared to the previous year. And even in 2014, there was only a 0.6% reduction, and it had been the first year for some time without a significant drop in deaths and injuries. This stagnation means that the EU is further away from its goal of halving road deaths by 2020.

Jacob Bangsgaard, FIA Region I director general, said: “We hope that the EU and Member States see these figures as a wakeup call. New challenges, such as driver distraction, are emerging today that are linked to a broader use of technology and should be addressed in their own right. However, some low hanging fruit such as: mandating existing safety technologies such as automatic emergency braking (AEB); improving the training of novice drivers; and ensuring an adequate standard for our roads, would already go a long way to improving the situation.”

The FIA encourages renewed efforts, in particular with regards to protecting vulnerable road users and addressing emerging risk factors such as the increased distraction of traffic participants. The FIA is calling on policy makers to mandate the fitment of active safety systems such as AEB and to make more stringent procedures mandatory in the revision of the pedestrian protection regulation. It is also calling for support for a lifelong learning approach for all traffic participants and for second phase training for novice drivers and to ensure maintenance of the infrastructure financed by taxes and charges revenues paid by road users.

Many drivers still think it is acceptable to drive while tired or to use cellphones at the wheel for conversations, or for using the Internet or texting. Further education is required to make these people realise they cannot drive safely while fatigued or while distracted and that there is considerable research showing the dangers.

Related Content

  • Road causalities dropped in Europe in 2012
    March 26, 2013
    The latest data from the European Commission reveals that road fatalities across the EU decreased by 9% in 2012. This shows that 2012 saw the lowest numbers of people being killed in road traffic crashes in EU countries since data first began being collated. Vice-president Siim Kallas, Commissioner for Transport, said, "2012 was a landmark year for European road safety, with the lowest ever number of road deaths recorded. A 9% decrease means that 3,000 lives were saved last year. It is hugely encouraging to
  • Improving safety for Europe’s roads revealed by latest data
    May 24, 2013
    A wide variety of road safety measures are being implemented across Europe, and with generally beneficial effects. According to the latest data from the European Commission, road fatalities across the EU dropped 9% for 2012 compared with the previous year. In fact 2012 also saw the lowest numbers of people being killed in road traffic crashes in EU countries since data first began being collated. But country by country statistics show that the number of road deaths still varies greatly across the EU.
  • Road safety challenge for Europe
    December 3, 2012
    Europe’s road safety drive is highlighting key issues - Mike Woof reports In Europe there is a growing understanding that alcohol use amongst drivers still has to be tackled effectively. Accident data reveals that safety standards are improving across most European countries, with steady reductions in numbers of serious injuries and fatalities. But there remains a problem with alcohol use amongst many drivers and it is amongst this group that accident levels have not fallen. In Spain in particular, there ha
  • Europe’s drive for safer roads sets new targets
    January 9, 2019
    Europe’s drive for improved road safety will see new targets being set. Previous ambitious plans to reduce road casualty rates have not been achieved, so new strategies are being devised. The European Transport Safety Commission (ETSC) is setting out its latest plans. In 2010, the European Union renewed its commitment to improve road safety by setting a target of reducing road deaths by 50% by 2020, compared to 2010 levels. This target followed an earlier target set in 2001 to halve road deaths by 2010. A n