New EU report reveals critical gaps in road safety across Europe

The European Commission has published findings from a project on key road safety performance indicators (KPIs), revealing significant gaps in compliance with basic safety measures across EU Member States. The Trendline project (2022–2025), co-funded by the EU, collected and analysed KPIs that form the backbone of the bloc's EU road safety policy framework 2021-2030.

The data paints a troubling picture of speeding compliance, particularly in urban environments. In many countries, compliance falls below 50% on city roads—precisely where pedestrians, cyclists, and other vulnerable road users are most at risk.

While driver seat-belt use shows strong compliance, often exceeding 95% on motorways, rear-seat belt use tells a different story. Some countries report rear-seat compliance rates below 50%, representing a significant safety gap. Child restraint systems, though widely used, are frequently installed or used incorrectly.

Motorcycle helmet use has proven to be one of road safety policy's success stories, with near-universal compliance across the EU except in two countries. However, correct fastening remains inconsistent. Bicycle helmet use varies dramatically—from under 10% in some member states to over 70% in others.

Random roadside breath testing and trip-based surveys show high overall compliance with alcohol limits, at approximately 98%. Yet even this seemingly small 2% non-compliance rate translates to roughly five million impaired drivers on EU roads.

Medical services reach virtually all injury crashes within 26 minutes from call to arrival, with about half of them averaging 11 minutes.

These indicators support road safety strategies and monitoring efforts at both national and European levels as the EU works toward its 2030 road safety targets.

Background

In 2024, 19,940 people were killed in road crashes in the European Union. The EU has set itself the ambitious target of "Vision Zero" – zero road deaths by 2050, with an intermediate target of reducing fatalities by 50% by 2030.

Road safety is a shared responsibility between the EU and Member States. While national and local authorities deliver most day-to-day actions, the EU contributes with safety rules for infrastructure and vehicles and for driving testing and licencing, coordinates cross-border cooperation between authorities and efforts to exchange best practices, and funds road safety projects.

More information

Final report: Trendline 2022-2025 - Data collection and analysis of road safety KPIs in Europe

EU Road Safety Observatory KPIs | Trendline Project