Romania and Bulgaria have the highest percentage of road deaths

Romania and Bulgaria remain the two EU countries with the highest road mortality rates, according to data released this year by the European Commission. In Romania, the death rate is 77 per million inhabitants, while in Bulgaria, it is 74 per million inhabitants. The EU average stands at 44 road deaths per million inhabitants.

Despite having the highest rates of fatalities, both countries have made significant progress in reducing road deaths, with a decline of over 20% since 2019.

Around 19,000 people died in road accidents across the EU last year, representing a slight 3% decrease compared to 2023. The overall pace of improvement in road safety within the EU remains slow, and most member states are not on track to meet the EU’s goal of halving road deaths by 2030.

Progress on road safety across the EU remains uneven, with some countries making significant progress while others struggle to reduce fatalities. Over the last five years, Greece, Spain, France and Italy have seen only modest declines in road deaths, while Ireland and Estonia have seen increases - although annual variations in smaller countries are more pronounced. In contrast, Bulgaria, Denmark, Lithuania, Poland and Slovenia made significant progress towards the target of halving road deaths.

Sweden and Denmark remain the safest countries in terms of road safety, with 20 and 24 deaths per million inhabitants respectively.

Rural roads continue to pose the greatest risk, with 52% of deaths occurring on these roads. The majority of road deaths (77%) are men, while the elderly (65+) and young people (18-24) are particularly vulnerable road users. The largest proportion of fatalities involve passengers, followed by motorcyclists (20%), pedestrians (18%), and cyclists (10%).

Vulnerable road users, including pedestrians, cyclists, and motorcyclists, acount for nearly 70% of the road deaths in urban areas, highlighting the urgent need for enhanced safety measures to protect them.