*Country Profile

Germany

ROAD SAFETY

This document is part of a series of 30 country profiles: one for each Member Stateof the EU 27 and three EFTA countries (Iceland, Norway, and Switzerland). The
purpose of this series is to provide an overview of the road safety situation in a specificcountry.
Contract:

This document has been prepared in the framework of the EC
Service Contract MOVE/C2/SER/2022-55/SI2.888215 with
National Technical University of Athens (NTUA), SWOV Institutefor Road Safety Research and Kuratorium für Verkehrssicherheit(KFV).

Version:February 8, 2024

Authors:

Katerina Folla, Konstantinos Kaselouris (NTUA)Internal Reviewers: Ingrid van Schagen, Govert Schermers (SWOV)
Referencing:

Reproduction of this document is allowed with due
acknowledgement. Please refer to the document as follows:
European Commission (2023), Country Profile Germany. Road
SafetyObservatory.
Brussels,
EuropeanCommission,
Directorate General for Transport.

Disclaimer
Whilst every effort has been made to ensure that the matter presented in thisdocument is relevant, accurate and up to date, the (sub)contractors cannot accept
any liability for any error or omission, or reliance on part or all of the content inanother context.
Any information and views set out in this document are those of the author(s) and do
not necessarily reflect the official opinion of the European Commission. The
Commission does not guarantee the accuracy of the data included in this study.
Neither the Commission nor any person acting on the Commission’s behalf may beheld responsible for the use that may be made of the information contained therein.
© European Commission, 2023.The EU does not own the copyright in relation to thefollowing elements:- Cover page photos, © www.shutterstock.com

C ount ry Profi leGermany

Contents
1.

Highlights ........................................................................... 4

2.

Road Safety Outcomes ......................................................... 5

3.

4.

5.

6.

2.1

Road Safety Trends ......................................................... 5

2.2

Risk Figures .................................................................... 6

2.3

Transport Mode ............................................................... 7

2.4

Age and Gender .............................................................. 9

2.5

Area and Road Type ....................................................... 11

2.6Time Period ................................................................... 12

2.7

Lighting and Weather Conditions ...................................... 13

Safety Performance Indicators .............................................. 14
3.1Road User Behaviour ...................................................... 14

3.2

Vehicle Safety ................................................................ 15

3.3

Enforcement .................................................................. 15Road Safety Policy and Measures .......................................... 16
4.1

National Road Safety Strategy.......................................... 16

4.2

Traffic Laws and Regulations ............................................ 16

4.3

Driving Licences ............................................................. 174.4Road Infrastructure ........................................................ 18

Structure and Culture .......................................................... 19
5.1Country Characteristics ................................................... 19

5.2

Structure of Road Safety Management .............................. 20

5.3

Self-declared behaviour & Attitudes .................................. 21

Notes ................................................................................ 22
6.1

Data Sources ................................................................. 22

6.2

Definitions ..................................................................... 24

3

C ount ry Profi leGermany

1. Highlights
Road Safety Outcomes• In 2021, 2,562 people were killed 55,137 people were seriously
injured in road crashes in Germany.
• Germany is 6th out of 27 EU countries in terms of the lowest
numbers of fatalities per million inhabitants.
• Compared to the EU average, the distribution of fatalities inGermany shows a relatively high proportion of cyclists, especiallyinside urban areas, and fatalities aged more than 65 years old.
• Over the period 2012-2021, Germany recorded a somehow
higher decrease in road fatalities compared to the EU on average.
• A higher decrease compared to the EU average was also recorded
for people aged 18-24 years old.
Road Safety Performance Indicators• Germany performs better than the EU average in relation to seatbelt use and driver distraction.
• The average age of the passenger car fleet in Germany is lower
than the EU average.
Road Safety Policy Measures & Country Characteristics• Germany is the only EU country with no general speed limit on
motorways.
• Germany is among the few EU countries with zero alcohol limit
for novice and professional drivers.
• Unlike most other countries there is no age restriction totransport children on motorcycles in Germany.
• The German motorway network shows relatively high roaddensity in comparison with the EU average.

4

C ount ry Profi leGermany

2. Road Safety Outcomes
2.1 Road Safety Trends
In Germany, 2,562 people were killed and 55,137 people were seriously
injured in road crashes in 2021 a. Over the period 2012-2021, thenumber of fatalities in Germany decreased by almost 30%, which ishigher than the European Union (EU) decrease (25%). The number ofserious injuries showed a lower decrease compared to fatalities overthe same period (17%).
In terms of mortality rates, 31 road fatalities per million inhabitants
were recorded in 2021, which is well below the EU average (45). The
overall trend of the mortality rate of Germany is similar to that of theEU, with a sharper decrease in 2020 and 2021.
Table 1. Number of fatalities and serious injuries, 2012 and 2021
Fatalities
Serious Injuries

2012
3,600
66,2792021
2,562
55,137

Trend
-29%
-17%

EU trend-25%-

Figure 1. Mortality rate development, 2012 – 2021

Fatalities per million
inhabitants

70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0

2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021
Germany

European Uniona

It is noted that the global COVID-19 pandemic had an impact on the CARE data for2020 and 2021 for many European countries. Traffic volumes dropped sharply during
the pandemic due to traffic restrictions, which was associated with a significant drop
in road traffic crashes and fatalities.

5C ount ry Profi leGermany

Serious injuries per million
inhabitants

Figure 2. Evolution of serious injuries per million inhabitants, 2012 –
2021
900
800
700
600
500
400
300
200
100
0

2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021
Germany

2.2 Risk Figures
Figure 3. Mortality rates by country, 2021

Fatalities per million
inhabitants

100
90
80
70
60
50
40
30

EU = 45
31

20
10
0

Taking into account the number of vehicles, Germany performs better
compared to the EU average. The rate of 0.45 fatalities per 10,000
registered vehicles in Germany is well below the EU average (0.63).

6

C ount ry Profi leGermany

Fatalities per 10000 registeredvehiclesFigure 4. Fatalities per thousand registered vehicles, 2021
2.50
2.00
1.50
1.00

EU = 0.63
0.50

0.45

0.00

2.3 Transport Mode
In 2021 b, car occupants accounted for more than 40% of road traffic
fatalities in Germany. This percentage is similar to that observed in the
EU as a whole (45%). Cyclists on the other hand account for 15% ofroad fatalities, which is above the EU proportion (9%).
Over the period 2012-2021, there has been a decrease in road fatalities
and serious injuries in Germany for all transport modes except forseriously injured cyclists. The highest decrease in fatalities wasrecorded for car occupants and pedestrians (38% and 35%
respectively). Concerning serious injuries, the highest decrease wasrecorded for pedestrians (42%). Serious injuries for cyclists went up by
8%.
Of those vulnerable road users (VRUs: pedestrians, cyclists andpowered two-wheelers) that were fatally injured in Germany in crashes
involving either passenger cars or buses/coaches or lorries and heavy
goods vehicles, 74% were involved in a crash with a passenger car, and
24% were involved in a crash with a lorry or heavy goods vehicle. Over
time Germany showed a somewhat higher decrease of fatalities in thesetypes of crashes than the European Union.
Also, the number of fatalities in single vehicle crashes has decreased
for all transport modes except for cyclists.

Different shares of transport modes in the casualty numbers, as shown in thissection, may also reflect differences in the size of the vehicle fleet and the usage ofdifferent modes rather than a difference in safety level.
b

7

C ount ry Profi leGermany

Table 2: Number of fatalities by transport mode, 2012 and 2021
2012
3
1,791
406
/
/
40
527
679
3,600

Bus/coach occupants
Car occupants
Cyclists
Heavy goods vehicles
Lorries, under 3.5t
Other/unknown
Pedestrians
Powered two-wheelers
Total

2021
5
1,118
372
76
64
54
344
529
2,562

Trend
-38%
-8%
+35%
-35%
-22%
-29%

EU trend
+26%
-28%
-12%
-11%
-14%
-13%
-34%
-18%
-25%

Figure 5. Distribution of road fatalities by transport mode, 2021

European
Union

45%

6%

19%

Germany

44%

6%

21%

0%

20%

40%

9%

18%

15%

60%

3%

13% 2%

80%

100%

Car occupants

HGVs, Lorries and buses

Powered two-wheelers

Cyclists

Pedestrians

Other/unknown

Table 3: Number of serious injuries by transport mode, 2012 and 2021
Bus/coach occupants
Car occupants
Cyclists
Heavy goods vehicles
Lorries, under 3.5t
Other/unknown
Pedestrians
Powered two-wheelers
Total

2012
394
28,851
13,854
/
/
697
8,079
12,524
66,27982021
339
22,215
14,966
712
829
1,476
4,717
9,883
55,137

Trend
-14%
-23%
+8%
+112%
-42%
-21%
-17%

C ount ry Profi leGermany

Table 4: Number of VRU fatalities in crashes involving passenger cars,
buses or coaches and lorries or heavy goods vehicles, 2012 and 2021
Crashes involving busesor coaches
Crashes involving cars
Crashes involving lorries
or heavy goods vehicles

2012

2021

Trend

EU trend

26

16

-38%

-47%

934

626

-33%

-29%

259

203

-22%

-15%

Table 5: Number of fatalities in single vehicle crashes by transportmode, 2012 and 2021
2012

Bus/coach occupants
Car occupants
Cyclists
Heavy goods vehicles
Lorries, under 3.5t
Other/unknown
Powered two-wheelers
Total

2021
2
444
111
14
15
31
172
789

2
753
86
/
/
30
181
1,102

Trend
-41%
+29%
-72%
+3%
-5%
-28%

EU trend
+47%
-28%
+37%
-44%
-12%
-20%
-16%
-23%

2.4 Age and Gender
The distribution of road fatalities across age groups in Germany issimilar to that of the EU, but with a higher share of killed people aged
above 65 years old and a lower share of killed people aged 25 to 49
years. Over the period 2012-2021, the number of fatalities dropped for
all age groups, with the higher decrease being recorded for persons
aged between 18-24 years old. The number of seriously injured persons
decreased for all age groups except for those aged between 50-64
years old and males aged above 65 years old.
Figure 6. Distribution of road fatalities by age and gender, 2021

FemaleEuropean Union

6% 10%

Germany 6% 9%
0%
<18

23%
17%
20%

18-24

20%

40%

22%
40%

25-49

50-64

9

46%
60%
65+

80%
Unknown100%

C ount ry Profi leGermany

Male
European Union 4% 13%

36%

Germany 4% 12%
0%
<18

23%

29%
20%

18-24

25%
40%

25-49

24% 1%
30%

60%

50-64

65+

80%

100%

Unknown

Table 6: Number of fatalities by age and gender, 2012 and 2021
Female
<18
18-24
25-49
50-64
65+
Unknown
Total
Male
<18
18-24
25-49
50-64
65+
Unknown
Total

2012

2021

Trend

EU trend

67
134
217
149
383
0
950

34
54
95
125
267
0
575

-49%
-60%
-56%
-16%
-30%
-39%

-44%
-40%
-37%
-23%
-25%
-22%
-31%

119
477
927
516
611
0
2,650

79
233
581
489
601
1
1,984

-34%
-51%
-37%
-5%
-2%
-25%

-27%
-37%
-30%
-13%
-8%
-9%
-23%

Table 7: Number of serious injuries by age and gender, 2012 and 2021
Female
<18
18-24
25-49
50-64
65+
Unknown
Total

2012

2021

Trend

2,987
4,164
7,789
4,917
5,493
12
25,362

1,995
2,645
5,563
5,070
4,942
1
20,216

-33%
-36%
-29%
+3%
-10%
-20%

10

C ount ry Profi leGermany

Male
<18
18-24
25-49
50-64
65+
Unknown
Total

4,801
7,129
15,001
8,093
5,881
8
40,913

3,757
5,020
11,267
8,585
6,226
6
34,861

-22%
-30%

-25%
+6%
+6%
-15%

2.5 Area and Road TypeThe majority of road fatalities in Germany occurred on rural roads(58%). The percentage of fatalities that occurred on urban roads inGermany (29%) is much lower than the EU average (39%). Over theperiod 2012-2021, the number of fatalities and serious injuries
decreased on all road types in Germany. Furthermore, a higher shareof fatalities with cyclists was observed in urban areas.
Table 8: Number of fatalities by road type, 2012 and 2021
2012
387
2,151
1,062
0
3,600

Motorway
Rural
Urban
Unknown
Total

2021
318
1,498
746
0
2,562

Trend
-18%
-30%
-30%
-29%

EU trend
-6%
-28%
-24%
-48%
-25%

Figure 7. Distribution of road fatalities by road type, 2021

European
Union

9%Germany

12%
0%

53%

10%

39%
58%

20%

30%

29%

40%

50%

60%

Motorway

Rural

Urban

11

70%

80%

90%

100%

C ount ry Profi leGermany

Table 9: Number of serious injuries by road type, 2012 and 2021
Motorway
Rural
Urban

2012
5,163
25,76635,3502021
4,682
21,77828,677

Trend
-9%
-16%
-19%

Unknown

00-66,27955,137

-17%

Total

Figure 8. Distribution of road fatalities inside urban areas by type oftransport mode, 2021

European
Union

28%

Germany

3%

21%

0%

20%

13%

2% 12%

20%

27%

40%

60%

33%

3%

35%

3%

80%

100%

Car occupants

HGVs, Lorries and BusesPowered two-wheelers

Cyclists

Pedestrians

Other/unknown

2.6 Time Period
The distribution of fatalities by day of the week and time of the day issimilar to that for the European Union. Most fatalities occurred during
working weekdays. Over the period 2012-2021, Germany showed thelargest downward trend for night-time fatalities (both during theworking week and at weekends), which is in line with the EU average.
Table 10: Number of fatalities by time period, 2012 and 2021
2012
2,154
282

2021
1,625
158

Trend
-25%
-44%

EU trend-21%-30%

Weekend - Daytime

783

593

-24%

-25%

Weekend - Night-time

381

186

-51%

-39%

0
3,600

0
2,562

-29%

-75%
-25%

Working week - Daytime
Working week- Night-time

UnknownTotal

12C ount ry Profi leGermany

Figure 9. Distribution of road fatalities by time period, 2021

European
Union

59%

Germany

8%

64%
0%

23%

6%

20%
40%
Working week - Daytime
Weekend - Daytime

23%

60%
80%
Working week- Night-time
Weekend - Night-time

10%
7%
100%

2.7 Lighting and Weather Conditions
The majority of fatalities in Germany occurred during daylight. During
darkness road crash fatalities decreased more than in the EU on
average. Data on fatalities by weather conditions are not available forGermany.
Table 11: Number of fatalities by lighting and weather conditions, 2012
and 2021
Lighting Conditions
Daylight
Twilight
Darkness
Weather Conditions
Dry
Rain
Other/Unknown

2012

2021

Trend

EU trend

2,254
179
1,167

1,810
139
613

-20%
-22%
-47%

-17%
-25%
-33%

/
/
/

/
/
/

-

-24%
-28%
-25%

13

C ount ry Profi leGermany

3. Safety Performance Indicators
3.1 Road User Behaviour
Table 12: Road Safety Performance Indicators, 2022 or latest available
year
Germany
Speeding% of passenger cars travelling within speed limits1
Motorways

EU

c

/

-

Rural Roads/-

Urban Roads

/

-

Front

98.0

93.3

Rear

99.0

75.5

/

67.0

99.5

97.0

/

94.4

31.7

37.8

/

11.8

Seat belt & CRS use rates (%)1,2

Child restraint systems
Helmet use rates (%)

1

PTW driver
PTW passenger
CyclistDUI of Alcohol3(self-reported)% car drivers have driven at least once inthe last 30 days over the legal limit
Driver Distraction1% of drivers not using hand-heldmobile device/phone while driving

97.1

94.8

Sources: Baseline project, ETSC (2022), ESRA3 project (2024), national sources
1

2

3

4

An EU average is not available for speeding, due to different legal speed limits among
countries, which does not allow for a straightforward comparison. Please also notethat for some Safety Performance Indicators of Section 3, the EU average is based ona small number of EU Member States with available data (see Section 6.1).
c

14

C ount ry Profi leGermany

3.2 Vehicle Safety
Table 13: Vehicle Safety Performance Indicators, 2019
% of new passenger cars rated
with 4 EuroNCAP stars and above1
Average age of passenger car fleet(years)2

Germany

EU

/

83.6

9.8

11.8

Sources: 1Baseline project, 2ACEA (2022)

3.3 Enforcement
Table 14: Number of traffic police tickets per thousand population,
2020
Tickets per 1,000 population
Speeding
Non-use of seat-belt
Illegal use of mobile phone
Driving above legal alcohol limits

Germany
33.6
/
5.0
/

Source: ETSC (2022)

15

EU
139.7
5.7
3.2
1.9

C ount ry Profi leGermany

4. Road Safety Policy and Measures
4.1 National Road Safety Strategy
Table 15: National road safety strategy and targets
Timeframe
Lead Authority
Targets
Fatalities
Serious injuries
Baseline Year
SPIs

Germany2021-2030
Ministry for Digital and Transport with assistance from BASt

-40%
Significant reduction
2021
No targets on SPIs
https://bmdv.bund.de/SharedDocs/DE/Anlage/StV/broschuereLink
verkehrssicherheitsprogramm-2021-bis2030.pdf?__blob=publicationFile
Source: national sources

4.2 Traffic Laws and Regulations
National road safety legislation in Germany is different in several
aspects from that in most EU countries. The maximum speed limit onrural roads (100km/h) is higher than in most EU countries, while
Germany is the only country with no general speed limit on motorways.
Germany is also among the few EU countries with zero alcohol limit for
novice and professional drivers. Furthermore, unlike most othercountries there is no age restriction to transport children on
motorcycles in Germany.
Table 16: National road safety legislation
Speed limits forpassenger cars (km/h)
Urban roads
Rural roads
Motorways
Allowed BAC levels (g/l)
General population
Novice drivers

Germany

Most common in EU

50
100
No limit (130 km/h
recommended)

50: 26/27
90: 17/27

0.5
0.0

Professional drivers

0.0

Seatbelt requirement
Drivers
Front Passenger

Yes
Yes

16

130: 14/27
0.5: 19/27
0.2: 12/27, 0.0: 9/27
0.2: 10/27, 0.0: 9/27,
0.5: 6/27
Yes: 27/27
Yes: 27/27

C ount ry Profi leGermany

Germany
Yes

Most common in EU
Yes: 27/27

Children in front seats

Up to 12 years / 150cm
Allowed in CRS

Children on motorcycles

Not restricted

up to 135 cm: 11/27,
up to 150 cm: 11/27
Allowed in CRS: 22/27
Prohibited under certain
age/height: 18/27

Rear Passenger
Child restraint systems
CRS required

Helmet requirement
Powered Two Wheelers
All roads
All engines
Cyclists
Age restriction
Mobile phone use
Hand-held phone use allowed
Hands-free phone use allowed
E-scooters
Age restriction

Yes
Yes
No
No
No

Yes: 27/27
Yes: 27/27
Yes: 25/27
Not mandatory: 19/27
Not restricted: 16/27

No
Yes

No: 26/27
Yes: 27/27

Allowed from 14 years

Max. speed limit
Helmet required

Not restricted: 9/27,
Allowed from 14 years: 6/27
25 km/h: 18/27
Not required: 12/27

20 km/hNo
Yes (if there is no
Allowed on road lanes
Yes: 18/27
bicycle path)
Allowed on pavements
No
No: 13/27, Yes: 9/27
Allowed on bicycle paths
Yes
Yes: 21/27
Sources: EC (2023), WHO (2018), FERSI (2020), National sources

4.3 Driving Licences
Table 17: Policies and regulations related to driving licences
Germany

Most common in EU

Novice Drivers
Accompanied driving
Probation period for novice
drivers
Renewal procedure
Renewal procedure(compulsory)
Renewal interval

17 years old
2 years

Yes
Every 15 years

Medical requirements
Source: National sourcesNo

17

17 years: 13/27,
No: 7/27
2 years: 7/27,
3 years: 5/27
Yes: 26/27
Εvery 10years: 13/27,
Εvery 15years: 9/27
Yes: 22/27

C ount ry Profi leGermany

4.4 Road Infrastructure
Table 18: Policies and regulations related to road infrastructure
Germany

Most common in EU

Audits or star rating required for
new road infrastructure

Yes

Yes: 10/27,
Partial:17/27

Inspections / star rating of existing
roads

Yes

Yes:26/27

Yes

Yes:25/27

Yes

Yes:20/27

No

Yes:23/27

No

Yes: 21/27

Design standards for the safety ofpedestrians / cyclists
Investments to upgrade high risk
locations
Policies & investment in urban
public transport
Policies promoting walking andcycling
Source: WHO (2018)18

C ount ry Profi leGermany

5. Structure and Culture
5.1 Country Characteristics
Population density in Germany is above the EU average. The roaddensity is smaller than the EU average, but Germany has a relatively
high share of motorways.
Table 19: Country Characteristics, 2021
Germany
Demographics2
Population (inhabitants)
Population density (inh./km2)% children (0-17)% adults (18-64)% elderly (65+)% of urban population
Economic Data2
GDP per capita (euro)
Infrastructure1
Country Area (km2)Road network length (km)Road density (km/km2)% of motorways% GDP spent to road infrastructure3
Vehicle Fleet1
Vehicles per population% of passenger cars
% of motorcycles% of HGVs% of buses
Exposure1
Modal split of passenger transport on land
(passenger-km in %):- Passenger cars
- Bus/coach/Metro/Tram
Modal split of freight transport on land (tonnekm in %):- Road- RailEnvironment1
CO2 emissions from road transport (million
tonnes)Share of road transport emissions in totaltransport emissions (%)
Sources: EC (2022), Eurostat, OECD (2023)

19

EU

83,155,031
235.4
16.5
61.5
22.0
77.6

447,000,548
109.0
18.2
61.6
20.3
75.2

43,29032,560357,569
229,601
0.60
5.73
0.5

4,225,134
4,473,380
1.1
1.67
0.4

0.69
84.9
8.4
6.6
0.1

0.73
77.3
11.4
11.1
0.2

88.5
5.1

85.2
8.7

71.9
18.6

74.6
16.4

142.1

739.8

84.7

76.3

C ount ry Profi leGermany

5.2 Structure of Road Safety Management
Table 20: Road Safety Management Structure
Key Functions
Formulation of nationalroad safety strategy
Monitoring of the roadsafety development
Improvements in roadinfrastructure
Improvement invehiclesImprovement in roaduser education

Publicity campaigns

Enforcement of traffic
laws

Other relevant actors

Source: National sources

Key Actors-

Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure (BMVI)-

Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure (BMVI)
Federal Highway Research Institute (BASt)
Federal Statistical Office (StBA)
Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure (BMVI)
Federal Motorway Ltd. (Autobahn GmbH des Bundes)
Road Authorities of the 16 federal states
Highway Research Institute (BASt)
Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure (BMVI)
Federal Motor Transport Authority (KBA)
Technical Vehicle Inspection Organisations
Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure (BMVI)The Ministries of Education of the 16 federal states
The Ministries of Interior of the 16 federal states(police)
German Road Safety Council (DVR)
German Tra-c Watch / regional Tra-c Watches (DVW,
LVWs)
Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure (BMVI)The Ministries of Transport of the 16 federal states
The Ministries of Interior of the 16 federal states(police)
German Road Safety Council (DVR)
German Tra-c Watch / regional Tra-c Watches (DVW,
LVWs)
Highway Patrol (Autobahnpolizei)
Federal Police
German Insurance Association (GDV)
Municipalities
Municipal umbrella organisations
Automobile Clubs
Road user associations
Professional trade associations
Vehicle manufacturers
Police trade union
Various OEMs and private initiatives-

20

C ount ry Profi leGermany

5.3 Self-declared behaviour & Attitudes
At the time of development of the current Country Profile, there are no
published data on self-declared behaviour and attitudes in ESRA 3
project for Germany.

21

C ount ry Profi leGermany

6. Notes
6.1 Data Sources
CARE (Community database on road accidents in Europe)
All information in section 1 of the Country Profile is based on the CARE
database. The full glossary of definitions of variables used in this Reportis available at EC Mobility & Transport - Road Safety webpage.
The European average is based on the average of the 27 EU countries.
EU trends and aggregated figures are based on the most recent figuresavailable (2021). In case of missing values, the EU averages andaggregated data were produced by imputing figures based on data fromprevious years. For values less than 10, the trend is not shown since it
may be due to randomness. Also, due to missing data on serious
injuries for some EU countries, EU total/average is not calculated. Dateof extraction: July 2023
ACEA (2022)
European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association. The automobile
industry - Pocket guide 2022/2023. ACEA, 2022.
https://www.acea.auto/files/ACEA_Pocket_Guide_2022-2023.pdf
Data on the average age of the passenger car fleet come from the
ACEA. The European average is based on the average of 24 EU
countries. Date of extraction: July 2023
Baseline project
Information in section 3 is based on Key Performance Indicators
collected within the Baseline project.
https://road-safety.transport.ec.europa.eu/statistics-andanalysis/data-and-analysis/key-performance-indicators-kpis_en
Alternative sources were used for countries with no available data in
the Baseline project (e.g., ETSC, national sources). The European
average is based on the average of 17 EU countries for speeding, 23
EU countries for seat-belt use, 13 EU countries for CRS use, 14 EU
countries for helmet use, 14 EU countries for driver distraction and 13
EU countries for vehicle safety. Date of extraction: July 2023
European Commission 2023
Data were retrieved from EC Mobility & Transport - Road Safety
website:https://europa.eu/youreurope/citizens/travel/drivingabroad/road-rules-and-safety/index_en.htm
Date of extraction: July 2023
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European Commission – Statistical Pocketbook 2023 (b)European Commission, Directorate-General for Mobility and Transport.
EU transport in figures – Statistical pocketbook 2023. Publications
Office of the European Union, 2023. Date of extraction: November 2023
https://data.europa.eu/doi/10.2832/319371
Eurostat
Data were retrieved from Eurostat: https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat
The European average is based on the average of the 27 EU countries.
Date of extraction: July 2023
ESRA project
Information in sections 3 (drink-driving) and 5.3 is based on data fromthe ESRA 3 (E-Survey of Road Users’ Attitudes) project (2023).
https://www.esranet.eu/
The European average is the average of 17 European countries. In the
ranking of the countries in Table 21, Switzerland is also included. Dateof extraction: November 2023
ETSC
Information in section 3 is based on data from the following ETSC
report. The European average is the average of 24 European countries
for all indicators, except the alcohol related tickets (20 countries).
European Transport Safety Council. How traffic law enforcement cancontribute to safer roads. PIN Flash Report 42. ETSC, 2022.
https://etsc.eu/how-traffic-law-enforcement-can-contribute-to-saferroads-pin-flash-42/
FERSI (2020)
Kamphuis, K. & van Schagen, I. (2020) E-scooters in Europe: legal
status, usage and safety. Results of a survey in FERSI countries. FERSI
paper. https://fersi.org/. Date of extraction: July 2023
IRTAD (International Traffic Safety Data and Analysis Group)
Data related to the percentage of GDP spent to road infrastructure(Section
5.1)
isretrieved
from
the
OECD
database:https://stats.oecd.org/. Date of extraction: July 2023
WHO
Data were retrieved from the WHO Global Status Report on Road
Safety, published in 2018. The European average is based on the
average of the 27 EU countries.
https://www.who.int/violence_injury_prevention/road_safety_status/
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2018/en/. Date of extraction: July 2023

6.2 Definitions
Road Crash
Any crash involving at least one road vehicle in motion on a public roador private road to which the public has right of access, resulting in atleast one injured or killed person. Data are based on police reports andthere may be an underestimate because of underreporting (especiallyfor non-fatal crashes and crashes not involving a motorised vehicle).
Fatalities
Total number of persons fatally injured within 30 days of the roadcrash; correction factors applied when needed. Confirmed suicide andnatural death are not included.
Seriously injured (at 30 days)
Total number of persons seriously injured corrected by correction
factors when needed. Injured (although not killed) in the road crashand hospitalized at least 24 hours. The definition of “serious injury”
varies considerably among EU countries, affecting, thus, the reliabilityof cross-country comparisons.
Lorry, under 3.5tn
Goods vehicle under 3.5t maximum gross weight. Smaller motor
vehicles used only for the transport of goods.
Heavy Goods Vehicles
Goods vehicle over 3.5t maximum gross weight. Larger motor vehicles
used only for the transport of goods.
Powered two-wheelers
Driver or passenger of either a moped (two or three wheeled vehicle
equipped with engine size of maximum 50cc and maximum speed that
does not exceed 45 km/h. A moped can also have an electric motor.
Speed pedelecs and electric powered bicycles that offer pedal
assistance up to 45 km/h, also belong to this category of vehicles.) ora motorcycle (motor vehicle with two or three wheels, with an engine
size of more than 50 cc. A motorcycle can also have an electric motor.).
Working week – Daytime
Monday to Friday 6.00 a.m. to 9.59 p.m.
Working week – Night-time
Monday 10 p.m. to Tuesday 5.59 a.m.
Tuesday 10 p.m. to Wednesday 5.59 a.m.
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Wednesday 10 p.m. to Thursday 5.59 a.m.
Thursday 10 p.m. to Friday 5.59 a.m.
Weekend – Daytime
Saturday to Sunday 6.00 a.m. to 9.59 p.m.
Weekend – Night-time
Friday 10 p.m. to Saturday 5.59 a.m.
Saturday 10 p.m. to Sunday 5.59 a.m.
Sunday 10 p.m. to Monday 5.59 a.m.
Speeding
The percentage of passenger cars travelling within legal maximum
speed limits based on roadside measurements during daytime.
Seat belt & CRS use rates
The percentage of passenger car occupants using seat belts and child
restraint systems (CRS) based on roadside observations during
daytime.
Helmet use rates
The percentage of powered two-wheeler riders and cyclists using
helmets based on roadside observations during daytime. Helmet use
rates for cyclists in some countries concern only urban roads. Please
note that in some countries use of helmets is not obligatory for cyclists(see Table 16).
DUI of Alcohol
The percentage of car drivers who have driven at least once in the last
30 days over the legal alcohol limit based on a self-reported survey.
Driver Distraction
The percentage of drivers not using a hand-held mobile device/phone
while driving based on roadside surveys during daytime on working
days. The vehicle types included are passenger cars, light goods
vehicles and buses/coaches.
Explanations of symbols in tables:/ : not available- : not applicable (e.g. calculation cannot be performed)

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