ROAD SAFETY REPORT 2021 | LUXEMBOURG

LUXEMBOURG
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ROAD SAFETY REPORT 2021 | LUXEMBOURG

LUXEMBOURG
Luxembourg recorded 26 road fatalities in 2020 – an increase of 4 deaths on the year prior.
Due to Covid-19 pandemic restrictions, there was less traffic in March and April 2020. The
figure for 2019 is the lowest annual fatality total on record. The Luxembourgish
government remains committed to the Vision Zero philosophy as the basis for its roadsafety policy.

Road safety management and strategy
Surroundedbylargercountries,
Luxembourg has a high share of transit
traffic that includes many heavy goodsvehicles.
Approximately
43%
of
Luxembourg's
workforce
commutefrom Belgium, Germany or France,
making Luxembourg the most common
destination for cross-border commutersin the EU in 2020.
The high proportion of cross-borderinbound commuters is reflected in thehigh volume of outbound traffic during
the evening rush hour. As a result, mostcrashes happen between 5-7 p.m.
when commuters are on their way
home from work.
Despite an increase in traffic, roadsafety has improved significantly due toessential measures, including:•••

the adoption of a Vision Zerosafety strategy
a reduction in speed limits,
associated with awareness andenforcement campaigns

Luxembourg: Quick facts
Population: 0.6 million
GDP per capita: USD 117 015
Road network: 2 914 km•

motorways: 6%

Registered motor vehicles: 0.5 million•

cars: 84%•

goods vehicles: 9%•motorcycles: 5%

Speed limits:•urban roads: 20/30/50 km/h•

rural roads: 70/90/110 km/h•

motorways: 130 km/h (110 km/h in rain)

Limits on Blood Alcohol Content:•

general drivers: 0.5 g/l•

professional drivers: 0.2 g/l•

novice drivers: 0.2 g/l

Road fatalities: 26•

pedestrians: 15%•cyclists: 12%•car occupants: 35%•motorcyclists: 27%•other: 12%

Road fatalities per 100 000 population: 4.2
Road fatalities per 10 000 vehicles: 0.5
All data 2020 unless otherwise stated.

awareness campaigns designed to promote respect for all road users, especiallyvulnerable ones.

Responsibility for road safety in Luxembourg lies with the Department of Transport in theMinistry of Sustainable Development and Infrastructure.

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ROAD SAFETY REPORT 2021 | LUXEMBOURG

The government of Luxembourg uses the Vision Zero framework to shape its road safety
policy. In this context, the government adopted a National Charter for Road Safety in 2015.
The charter sets zero fatalities and serious injuries on Luxembourg's roads as a long-termtarget.
To highlight the priority status of road safety policy, the Ministry of Transport launched
Luxembourg's first National Day of Road Safety on 26 September 2016 as part of theNational Road Safety Action Plan.
Luxembourg adopted the EU target to halve the number of annual road fatalities by 2020
against a 2010 baseline. The government defined its target by analysing the reasons andcircumstances under which fatal and serious injury crashes occur. To meet the EU target,
there should be no more than 16 fatalities by 2020. The already low number of road
fatalities in Luxembourg in 2010 (32 deaths) makes it particularly challenging to meet thistarget. For the UN Decade of Action for Road Safety 2021-2030, Luxembourg also adopted
the EU target to halve fatalities and seriously injured by 2030 compared to 2020.

Latest road safety measures
In December 2021, the Ministry of Mobility and Public Works re-launched the "Zesummenënnerwee" awareness campaign to promote respectful interaction between cyclists andpedestrians and make cyclists and pedestrians aware of the importance of simple gesturesand practices in public spaces to avoid traffic conflicts.
As part of the fight against road insecurity, the radar section in the Markusberg tunnel on
the Sarre-A13 motorway entered into service in December 2021.
In November 2021, the Ministry of Mobility and Public Works and the Road Safety
Association launched a new awareness campaign to increase understanding between roadusers. It aims to remind people of the importance of simple actions and gestures in public
spaces to guarantee everyone’s safety.
In July 2021, as part of the National Road Safety Plan, the first red light radar in
Luxembourg was installed and has been in a test phase since October 2020 at Place del'Étoile in Luxembourg City.
In April 2019, the Ministry of Mobility and Public Works presented a motorcycle action planfeaturing 13 security measures. The primary approach is fighting excessive speed. Otherimportant measures are securing dangerous zones by slides, organising the fourth "Fit Your
Bike Day" and increasing social media use to establish relationships with foreign
motorcyclists.
At the same time, the Ministry and the police, in collaboration with Road Safety
Luxembourg and the Administration for Bridges and Roadways, announced a new safety
campaign targeting motorcyclists under the slogan "D'Strooss ass keng Rennstreck" ("Theroad is no racetrack"). The objective is to raise awareness for the fatal risk of excessive3

ROAD SAFETY REPORT 2021 | LUXEMBOURG

speed and increase acceptance that not adapting driving behaviour to circumstances androad conditions can have serious, even fatal, consequences.
On 1 May 2018, Luxembourg introduced new road signs and new regulations for cyclists.
The new rules establish a minimum passing distance of 1.5 m and allow children up to 12
years to cycle on the pavement (together with an accompanying adult).
Following an increase in the number of motorcyclists killed, the Minister of Transport
decided in 2018 to implement new actions, including road signs indicating dangerous
segments for motorcyclists and awareness campaigns on the conditions of vehicles.
A new radar section was installed between Waldhof and Gonderange in mid-June 2020.
A pilot project on the N25 between Wilts and Kautenbach to improve motorcyclists' safety
introduced specific markings encouraging motorcyclists to keep a safe distance from thecentre line. In addition, new signs on road sections with high volumes of motorcycle traffic
warn riders of a hazardous segment of their journey.
Installation of motorcycle guardrails has continued. In 2018, about 8 km of guardrails wereinstalled.
Luxembourg's Public Roads Administration chaired a working party dealing with all relevant
questions related to infrastructure safety. Road safety audits are in place to improve safety
on specific road network sections, particularly those with the most crashes.

Safety performance indicators
Speed
Inappropriate speed is one of the leading causes of road crashes. In 2020, speeding was
the presumed contributing factor for 38% of fatal crashes and 31% of crashes in
Luxembourg that resulted in serious injuries.
Luxembourg's Ministry of Mobility and Public Works allows and supports local authorities
to lower the speed limit to promote the creation of attractive public spaces for pedestrians
and cyclists. Speed limits can be reduced from 50 km/h to 30 km/h or less on local roads
and state-owned roads inside their jurisdictional areas. This requires that all structural
traffic-calming measures are implemented.
Drink-driving
According to estimates, drink driving was the primary cause of 8% of fatal crashes and
16% of crashes resulting in serious injuries in 2020. However, the small total number ofroad fatalities must be considered.

4ROAD SAFETY REPORT 2021 | LUXEMBOURGIn Luxembourg, the maximum authorised blood alcohol content (BAC) is 0.5 g/l for
general drivers and 0.2 g/l for novice and professional drivers. The Grand Duchy defines
an alcohol-related crash as an injury crash where at least one of the involved drivers orpedestrians has a BAC above 0.5 g/l.
Driving with a breath alcohol concentration (BrAC) over 0.35 mg/l is penalised by thewithdrawal of 4 points and while driving with a BrAC over 0.55 mg/l by 6 points.
Drugs and driving
In 2020, no fatal crash injuries involved drivers with drug levels higher than theauthorised level. However, drugs were involved in 8% of crashes resulting in serious
injuries.
The maximum blood drug content authorised for the following drugs in Luxembourg is 2ng/ml for THC; 20 ng/ml for morphine and 50 ng/ml for amphetamine,
methamphetamine, MDMA, MDA, cocaine and benzoylecgonine.
Use of mobile phones while driving
Distraction or inattention is the second most-observed contributing factor to accidents
after speed. Using hand-held phones while driving is forbidden in Luxembourg. The useof hands-free devices while driving has been authorised since 2009. A new law with
tougher sanctions has been in force since April 2015. It also covers the use of laptops
and tablets while driving. Making phone calls while driving is a growing concern, yet
smartphones' expanding communication functions are an even more significant issue.
Multiple road safety actors in Luxembourg have stepped up awareness campaigns tocombat the dangers of distracted driving.
Seat belt and helmet use
Seat belt use has been compulsory in front seats in Luxembourg since 1975 and rearseats since 1992. The use of child restraints has been mandatory since 1992. In 2015,seat belt use in passenger cars reached 90% in the front seat and 76% in rear seats. In
2020, two people killed and eight seriously injured were not wearing seat belts at themoment of the crash.
Helmets have been compulsory for all motorcycle and moped riders since 1976. The
compliance rate is not available for Luxembourg but is estimated at close to 100%.

5ROAD SAFETY REPORT 2021 | LUXEMBOURGRoad safety data for Luxembourg at a glanceLong-term road safety trends for Luxembourg

Reported safety data
Fatalities
Injury crashes

2000

1990

2010

2018

2019

2020

2019

2020 % change over2010
2000
1990

71

76

3236

2226

18.2

-18.8

-65.8

-63.4

1 216

901

876

947

988

771

-22.0

-12.0

-14.4

-36.6

Injured persons hospitalised

556

400

266

273

248

217

-12.5

-18.4

-45.8

-61.0

Deaths per 100 000 population
Deaths per 10 000 registeredvehiclesFatalities by road user

18.7

17.5

6.4

6.0

3.6

4.2

15.9

-34.8

-76.3

-77.83.3

2.4

0.8

0.7

0.4

0.5

15.0

-34.4

-78.6

-84.6

Pedestrians

10111324

Cyclists

11130

3

Moped riders

0000

1

3

Motorcyclists

88

1

93

4

Passenger car occupants

5153

27

19

16

9

Other road users

132

20

30-14 years

430

100

15-17 years

2

10

10

2

18-20 years

11566

1

2

21-24 years

811

4

3

50

25-64 years

3445

1922

14

1765-74 years

..

31123

≥ 75 years

..

72202

Urban roads..

203135

Rural roads..

472226

1615

Motorways..

97936

214

319

411

482

496

510

2.8

23.9

59.9

138.3

564.2

735.5

819.5

800.7

808.5

814.5

0.7

-0.6

10.7

44.4

Figures are too small to make meaningfulcomparison

Fatalities by age group

Figures are too small to make meaningfulcomparison

Fatalities by road type

Traffic data
Registered vehicles(thousands)
Registered vehicles per 1 000
population

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Figures are too small to make meaningfulcomparison

ROAD SAFETY REPORT 2021 | LUXEMBOURG

Evolution of road fatalities, injury crashes, motorisation, traffic and GDP inLuxembourg, 2000-20
Index 2000 = 100

Road fatalities per 100 000 inhabitants in Luxembourg in comparison withIRTAD countries, 2020

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ROAD SAFETY REPORT 2021 | LUXEMBOURG

Road fatalities per 10 000 vehicles in Luxembourg in comparison with IRTADcountries, 2020

Note: in Belgium, Denmark, Germany and Hungary registered vehicles do not include
mopeds.

Road fatalities in Luxembourg by user category, 2020

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ROAD SAFETY REPORT 2021 | LUXEMBOURG

Road fatalities in Luxembourg by road type, 2020

Seat belt and helmet wearing rates
Percentages
2015
Front seats
General (driver + passenger)

90

Rear seats
General76

Research and resources
Publications
Actionplanforroad
safety:https://gouvernement.lu/damassets/documents/actualites/2019/05-mai/Plan-d-actionsecurite-routiere.pdf.
Websites
Road Safety Luxembourg: https://www.securite-routiere.lu/.
Ministry of Sustainable Development and Infrastructure: http://www.mt.public.lu/.
STATEC: http://www.statistiques.public.lu/fr/index.html.
Ministry of Mobility and Public Works: https://mmtp.gouvernement.lu/en.html.

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ROAD SAFETY REPORT 2021 | LUXEMBOURG

Definition, methodology, data collection
Luxembourg defines a road fatality as a person who died immediately or within 30 daysof a crash. A serious injury is defined as an injury causing a person to be hospitalised forat least 24 hours; a slight injury is an injury requiring less than 24 hours ofhospitalisation.
Luxembourg is currently not using the Maximum Abbreviated Injury Scale of three ormore (MAIS3+) to define serious injuries. However, the Ministry of Health, the Ministry ofTransport and hospitals are working towards this objective.
In Luxembourg, crash data are collected by the police at the scene of crashes. The
national statistical institute STATEC consolidates the data at the national level. STATEC
also compiles a list of fatal crashes reported in general media. This list is used to doublecheck the number of deadly crashes.

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