In June 2025, the European Transport Safety Council released its annual report on road safety for the year 2024. The findings are not encouraging, as the data clearly show that progress in this area across Europe remains far too slow. In 2024, there were 20,017 road fatalities in EU countries, representing a decrease of just 2% compared to the previous year. This reduction is well below the annual 6.7% decline required to reach the EU target of halving road deaths by 2030.
Looking at the period from 2019 to 2024, the overall reduction stands at 12%, whereas a 27% drop would have been necessary by now to stay on track with the end-of-decade goal. The report notes that eight European countries, including Switzerland and Estonia, actually saw an increase in fatalities over the past year, while only a few countries achieved notable results. Lithuania leads the way with a 35% drop in deaths since 2019, followed by Belgium, Poland and Slovenia, all reporting reductions of over 25%.
Within this two-speed European context, Norway reaffirms its status as the top performer, boasting one of the lowest road mortality rates in the world: just 16 deaths per million inhabitants in 2024. The country’s success reflects a rigorous, systemic approach inspired by the Vision Zero strategy, which aims for fewer than 50 road deaths by 2030 and zero by 2050. Norway has achieved these results through a coordinated mix of public policies, education, safe infrastructure and scientific innovation. The country has implemented one of Europe’s strictest drink-driving limits, made skid-driving courses mandatory, and converted many hazardous road segments into safer routes with central barriers. In Oslo, speed reduction zones, protected cycle paths and traffic restriction measures have been introduced to safeguard pedestrians and cyclists, while nationwide efforts have included increased speed enforcement, improved training for motorcyclists and funding for projects aimed at children, the elderly and vulnerable road users.
A cornerstone of Norway’s strategy is the Best – Bedre sikkerhet i trafikken – research programme, which has produced over 140 scientific studies on road safety. Coordinated by the national road authority and research institutions, the programme has examined measures such as speed limits, infrastructure for vulnerable users and urban planning. The findings, compiled in the Traffic Safety Handbook, have provided a solid empirical foundation to guide policy decisions. Norway’s strategy has also benefited from thorough investigations into every road fatality, legislative reforms targeting young drivers, the creation of traffic-free school zones and the certification of so-called Safe Municipalities. “Norway’s achievements are no coincidence but the result of clear objectives, consistent implementation and a shared commitment at every level,” said Antonio Avenoso, Executive Director of the ETSC.
The ETSC report also reflects on the cost of inaction. Between 2014 and 2024, the progress achieved helped save approximately 23,800 lives, with a social benefit estimated at 60 billion euros. However, had the European Union followed the required annual pace of 6.7%, an additional 49,600 lives could have been saved, with a total value of 124 billion euros.
In light of these findings, the ETSC is calling for strong action from European institutions and national governments, proposing the creation of a European road safety agency. This autonomous body would be responsible for regulating automated vehicles, conducting independent crash investigations and harmonising policies among member states, modelled on the agencies already operating in the aviation and maritime sectors.
