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Across the EU, the number of road fatalities in 2022 increased by 3% compared to the previous year, not least because traffic levels recovered after the pandemic.

The Commission recently published provisional figures on road deaths for 2022. Last year around 20.600 people were killed in road accidents, a 3% increase on 2021 when traffic recovered from the pandemic. However, this means 2.000 fewer road deaths (-10%) compared to the pre-pandemic year 2019. The goal of the EU and the UN is to halve the number of road deaths by 2030. 

Opposing trends in Member States

Across the EU, the number of road deaths in 2022 increased by 3% compared to the previous year, not least because traffic levels recovered after the pandemic. Importantly, much of the gains made during the COVID-19 period (including a 17% decline between 2019 and 2020) have not been lost. Compared to 2019, the number of deaths in 2022 has decreased by 10%.

However, progress between Member States is very uneven. The largest declines, of more than 30%, were reported in Lithuania and Poland, with Denmark also recording a 23% drop. In contrast, the number of road deaths in countries such as Ireland, Spain, France, Italy, the Netherlands and Sweden has remained fairly stable or increased over the past three years (It is important to note that this is based on preliminary and often partial data). The overall ranking of countries' death rates has not changed significantly since the pandemic, with the safest roads in Sweden (21 deaths per million) and Denmark (26/million), while Romania (86/million) and Bulgaria (78/million) ) reported the highest figures in 2022. The EU average was 46 road fatalities per million inhabitants.

Most affected groups

Based on the available data for 2021 (detailed data for 2022 are not yet available), 52% of road deaths occurred on rural roads across the EU, compared to 39% in urban areas and 9% on motorways. Men accounted for three out of four road deaths (78%). Car occupants (drivers and passengers) accounted for 45% of all road fatalities, while pedestrians accounted for 18%, users of motorized two-wheelers (motorcycles and mopeds) 19% and cyclists 9% of the total fatalities.

Within urban areas, however, the pattern is very different: vulnerable road users (pedestrians, cyclists and motorized two-wheelers) represent just under 70% of the total number of fatalities. The number of road fatalities in urban areas is mainly due to accidents involving cars and trucks, pointing to the need to improve the protection of vulnerable road users.

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About 20.600 people were killed in road accidents last year, a 3% increase from 2021 when traffic recovered after the pandemic.

While the increased share of cycling in the mobility mix is ​​very welcome in many Member States, the trend in the number of fatal cyclists on EU roads is a serious concern. This is the only group of road users that has not seen a significant drop in road fatalities over the last decade, mainly due to a persistent lack of well-equipped infrastructure. For example, provisional figures from France show a 2022% increase in cycling deaths in 30 compared to 2019.

Background

In 2018, the EU set itself a 50% reduction target for road fatalities – and for the first time serious injuries – by 2030. This was set out in the Commission's Road Safety Strategic Action Plan and the EU Road Safety Policy Framework 2021-2030, which set out road safety plans are also included to achieve zero road fatalities by 2050 ('Vision Zero'). Road safety has also been a core element of recent EU mobility policy initiatives, including the Sustainable and Smart Mobility Strategy, the Commission's proposal for a revision of the TEN-T Regulation and the Urban Mobility Framework. The EU is at the forefront of the second decade of road safety action, declared by the UN in August 2020 for 2021-2030.

In the coming weeks, the Commission will present a package of proposals to tackle road safety from different angles to make Europe's roads even safer. The 2022 figures are based on preliminary data for most countries and are subject to change when the final data is released in autumn 2023. Estimates for 2022 cover the whole year and all roads and refer to deaths within 30 days, but are based on partial data for the following countries: Germany and Greece (every 11 months), Belgium and Hungary (every 9 months), Spain (rural roads), Netherlands (partial data; also police-recorded fatalities are underreported by about 10-15%), Portugal (deaths within 24 hours), Switzerland (6 months). No data for Liechtenstein for 2022.

Data for 2022 is compared against three time periods: 2021 (the previous year), 2019 (the base year for the 50% reduction in deaths by 2030 target), and the 2017-19 average (to account for fluctuations in small countries). The percentage changes in the table are based on the absolute number of fatalities, not on the number per million inhabitants, the Europese Commissie.

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