The European Commission published its report to track progress towards the EU's goal of halving road deaths and serious injuries by 2030. While progress has been made in reducing road fatalities, it reveals that the current pace is insufficient.
19,940 people were killed on Europe's roads in 2024, representing a 12% decrease since 2019 but falling significantly short of the annual 4.6% reduction needed to meet 2030 targets. Road crashes continue to impose enormous costs on the EU economy, estimated at approximately 2% of GDP, while up to 100,000 people sustain life-changing injuries each year.
"Every road death is a tragedy. While we have made important progress, we must accelerate our efforts and act faster and with greater determination. The actions we are setting out today will support Member States in saving thousands of lives, reducing the heavy economic and social costs of road crashes, and ensuring that Europe remains a global leader in automotive safety and innovation", said Apostolos Tzitzikostas, European Commissioner for Sustainable Transport and Tourism.
The report presents an ambitious set of actions requiring coordinated efforts from EU institutions, Member States, and local authorities to accelerate life-saving interventions. The Commission will take measures across five priority areas, including infrastructure safety and intelligent transport systems; helping to strengthen enforcement of road traffic rules and deterrence of poor road behaviour; advancing with the deployment of vehicle safety technologies; addressing new forms of mobility; and prioritising road safety research. (....)