The number of road deaths varies significantly across Europe. As data from the European Commission shows, the number of fatalities in relation to the population is particularly high in many Eastern European countries. Romania and Bulgaria are at the top of the list, with 81 fatalities per million inhabitants each in 2023. Latvia follows in third place with 75 deaths, and Croatia is in fourth place with 71 deaths. Greece (65 deaths) and Portugal (61 deaths) also have relatively high numbers of road traffic fatalities.
Some Western European countries also have relatively high road traffic fatalities rates, including Italy (52 deaths) and France (48 deaths). Norway and Sweden, on the other hand, have particularly low death rates. Sweden has had one of the lowest road death rates in the world for decades. Several factors are responsible for this. In 1997, the country introduced Vision Zero, a road safety strategy aiming to reduce the number of road traffic fatalities and serious accidents to zero. The programme shifted responsibility from individual road users to the transport system designers, who must create roads, vehicles, and regulations that are forgiving of human error. Sweden was the first country to introduce a long-term goal with "Vision Zero", which means that not a single traffic fatality is accepted. Other important factors contributing to low fatality rates in Sweden and Norway include traffic calming measures in cities, very low blood alcohol limits, consistent alcohol checks, frequent speed checks and a points and fines system with a strong deterrent effect.
