Skip to main content

Europe’s road death rate still too high

There is widespread consensus across Europe that the road death rate remains too high. There was an average of 51 road deaths/million inhabitants in the EU during 2016. Overall, there was a 2% drop in the number of road deaths between 2015-2016 in the EU. But this 2% fall in 2016 followed a 1% increase in road deaths during 2015 and a plateau during 2014. Overall, the number of road deaths recorded in Europe has fallen by a mere 1% since 2013. Switzerland was the Road Safety PIN Award Winner 2017, with the
July 12, 2017 Read time: 1 min

There is widespread consensus across Europe that the road death rate remains too high. There was an average of 51 road deaths/million inhabitants in the 3287 EU during 2016. Overall, there was a 2% drop in the number of road deaths between 2015-2016 in the EU. But this 2% fall in 2016 followed a 1% increase in road deaths during 2015 and a plateau during 2014. Overall, the number of road deaths recorded in Europe has fallen by a mere 1% since 2013. Switzerland was the Road Safety PIN Award Winner 2017, with the country recording a new drop in road deaths to 26/million inhabitants. This represents a 15% reduction between 2015 and 2016. Overall Switzerland has seen a 34% drop in road deaths between 2010 and 2016. This compares favourably with the 19% drop in road deaths for Europe as a while during this period.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Bangladesh faces high risk of road crashes
    June 2, 2017
    The road casualty rate in Bangladesh needs to be drastically reduced according to the country’s government.
  • Workzone safety a source of concern in Europe
    February 15, 2012
    Work-related road safety is an emerging source of concern throughout Europe, which needs renewed commitment from all those involved. It is estimated that in the EU-15, 39% of fatal work accidents are road traffic accidents, and this number would even be considerably higher should accidents while commuting to and from work be included.
  • New figures reveal world road fatality rates
    February 6, 2015
    Figures now available from the International Road Traffic Accident Database (IRTAD) highlight the risk of travelling by road in some countries. Not all countries compile accurate data from police sources and in many, a high percentage of road traffic crashes go unreported to the authorities. But the data from nations that do compile such information highlights counties where road risks are high and action needs to be taken.
  • Safer French roads or incorrect estimation?
    February 12, 2014
    Official figures for French road safety reveal a small drop in fatalities for January 2014 compared with January 2013. However these results have been queried over possible inaccuracies and inconsistencies. According to the official body Sécurité Routière, 238 people were killed in traffic accidents in January 2014, down 0.5% compared to January 2013. However, the number of crashes rose 7.5% during the period, leading to an increase in injuries of 10.6% to 5,694 in January 2014. The increased crash figures