COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS Report on the Implementation of the EU Road Safety Policy Framework at the Mid-Point
Date: 2026-02-13
Institutions: Directorate-General for Mobility and Transport, European Commission
Subjects: EU investment, accident prevention, common transport policy, cross-border cooperation, innovation, road safety, road transport, transport accident, transport infrastructure, transport statistics

EN 

  EN 

   EUROPEAN COMMISSION  Brussels, 13.2.2026  COM(2026) 77 final  COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS Report on the Implementation of the EU Road Safety Policy Framework at the Mid-Point {SWD(2026) 33 final} - {SWD(2026) 34 final} - {SWD(2026) 35 final} - {SWD(2026) 36 final} - {SWD(2026) 37 final} - {SWD(2026) 38 final} - {SWD(2026) 39 final} - {SWD(2026) 40 final} - {SWD(2026) 41 final} - {SWD(2026) 42 final} - {SWD(2026) 43 final} - {SWD(2026) 44 final} - {SWD(2026) 45 final} - {SWD(2026) 46 final} - {SWD(2026) 47 final} - {SWD(2026) 48 final} - {SWD(2026) 49 final} - {SWD(2026) 50 final} - {SWD(2026) 51 final} - {SWD(2026) 52 final} - {SWD(2026) 53 final} - {SWD(2026) 54 final} - {SWD(2026) 55 final} - {SWD(2026) 56 final} - {SWD(2026) 57 final} - {SWD(2026) 58 final} - {SWD(2026) 59 final}  
 
 
1. 

INTRODUCTION  

Every  year,  EU  roads  claim  nearly  20 000  lives  –  a  devastating  toll  that  is  no  mere 
statistic,  but  a  reality  that  tears  families  apart,  leaves  communities  grieving  and  wastes 
immeasurable  human  potential  forever.  Up  to  five  times  as  many  people  –  100 000 
individuals – sustain injuries on the roads that fundamentally alter the course of their life. 
These  life-changing  injuries  often  mean  permanent  disability,  chronic  pain  and  lost 
livelihoods;  they  have  profound  impacts  on  quality  of  life  that  extend  far  beyond  the 
immediate victims to families, caregivers, and broader social networks. 

The human  cost  of  road collisions has been the  most visible and tragic  dimension. But 
there  is  also  the  economic  burden  of  road  crashes;  in  monetary  terms,  the  cost  of  road 
crashes  in  the  EU  has  been  estimated  at  2%  of  GDP  annually1.  These  resources  could 
otherwise  fuel  innovation,  education,  healthcare  and  other  crucial  public  investments. 
Road  safety  should  be  a  pillar  of  the  EU’s  economic  competitiveness  as  it  directly 
influences  the  efficient  movement  of  goods  and  labour  and  the  operational  costs  of 
businesses across all sectors.  

technologies,  from  autonomous  emergency  braking  systems 

A transition to safer, more sustainable mobility is also essential for maintaining the EU's 
industrial  leadership  and  competitiveness  in  global  markets2.  European  automotive 
manufacturers  and  their  supplier  networks  are  at  the  forefront  of  developing  advanced 
safety 
to  vehicle 
connectivity,  positioning  the  EU  as  a  global  leader  in  automotive  safety  innovation. 
Commitments  to  road  safety  not  only  save  lives  but  also  drive  technological  progress, 
create  high-skilled  employment,  and  maintain  the  EU's  competitive  edge  in  the  rapidly 
evolving global automotive market. Road safety investments also contribute to the EU’s 
preparedness and resilience by safeguarding the continuity and reliability of critical road 
infrastructure and related services, in particular where road corridors and nodes support 
both civilian and defence needs.  

The EU and its Member States are firmly committed to road safety. At EU level, this was 
reflected – most recently – in the EU Road Safety Policy Framework 2021-20303, which 
reiterated  the  shared  goals  to  halve  road  deaths  and  serious  injuries  by  20304  and  to 
achieve ’Vision Zero’ – to come close to eliminating road deaths by 2050. In pursuit of 
these  goals,  Member  States  have  adopted  and  implemented  national  strategies,  action 
plans  and  other  expressions  of  commitment  such  as  inter-ministerial  agreements  and 
federal cooperation structures.  

1   EC Handbook on the external costs of transport 2019 (new version forthcoming). 

2   Communication  from  the  Commission  to  the  European  Parliament,  the  Council,  the  European 
Economic  and  Social  Committee  and  the  Committee  of  the  Regions,  Industrial  Action  Plan  for  the 
European  automotive  sector,  COM/2025/95  final  of  5  March  2025,  https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-
content/EN/TXT/?uri=celex:52025DC0095. 

3   COM (2018) 293: Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the 
European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions – Europe on the Move – 
Sustainability for Europe: Safe, Connected and Clean, Annex I Communication from the Commission 
to  the  European  Parliament,  the  Council,  the  European  Economic  and  Social  Committee  and  the 
Committee  of  the  Regions  –  Europe  on  the  Move  –  Sustainability  for  Europe:  Safe,  Connected  and 
Clean,  Annex 
https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-
content/EN/TXT/?uri=celex:52018DC0293. 

I,  COM(2018)293 

17  May 

2018, 

of 

4  

It has since been decided that the baseline year, from which progress is measured, will be 2019. 

2 

 
 
 
The EU Road Safety Policy Framework 2021-2030 followed the key priority areas of the 
Safe System approach, including safer roads and roadsides, safer vehicles, safer road use, 
better  post-crash  response,  and  better  data  collection  and  analysis.  It  emphasised  the 
critical  importance  of  addressing  the  main  risk  factors  –  speeding,  drink-driving, 
distraction, and failure to use protective equipment – while paying particular attention to 
vulnerable road users such as pedestrians, cyclists, and motorcyclists. 

This  communication  is  a  mid-term  report  on  progress  towards  achieving  the  EU's  road 
safety  objectives,  taking  stock  of  developments  since  2019,  identifying  emerging 
challenges  that  were  not  fully  anticipated  by  the  original  framework  and  suggests 
adjustments to  ensure the  EU remains  on track to  meet  its 2030 objectives.  Its  analysis 
reveals encouraging progress in some areas but also points to some significant gaps that 
require immediate attention and reinforced action to save lives, reduce economic burden, 
and strengthen EU competitiveness. 

1.1. PROGRESS TOWARDS ACHIEVING ROAD SAFETY TARGETS  

The latest data show that 19 900 people were killed in road crashes in the EU in 2024. 
This is 440 fewer lives lost than in 2023 - a 2% decrease5. Given the rise in the number 
of  vehicles  per  person  and  in  the  number  of  kilometres  driven,  this  is  a  significant 
achievement but it also highlights the need for sustained efforts at all levels.  

Trend in fatalities and millions of passenger cars

35000

30000

25000

20000

15000

10000

5000

0

300

250

200

150

100

50

0

2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023

Fatalities

Million passenger cars

Figure 1 Trends in the number of fatalities and millions of passenger cars in the EU 2010-2023. 
Sources: EU CARE database on road crashes; for data on passenger cars, Eurostat (online data 
code road_eqs_carage) 

5   While  this  represents  progress,  the  overall  trajectory  falls  significantly  short  of  the  annual  4.6% 

reduction required to achieve the 2030 target of halving road deaths. 

3 

 
 
 
 
 
 
Trend in fatalities and billion passenger car km 

35000

30000

25000

20000

15000

10000

5000

0

5000

4500

4000

3500

3000

2500

2000

1500

1000

500

0

2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023

Fatalities

Billion pkm (passenger car)

Figure 2 Trends in the number of fatalities and billions of passenger car kilometres driven in the 
EU  2010-2023.  Sources:  EU  CARE  database  on  road  crashes;  for  data  on  passenger  car-
kilometres, Eurostat (online data code road_pa_mov) 

Since the baseline year of 2019, road deaths have decreased by 12% EU-wide, but this 
improvement masks considerable  differences  among Member States.  Only a handful of 
Member States – Belgium, Bulgaria, Denmark, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, and Slovenia – 
are currently on track to meet the 50% reduction target for 2030. Some Member States, 
including Ireland and Estonia, have experienced increases in road fatalities while others 
like France, Italy and the Netherlands have seen only marginal improvements.  In 2024, 
the  fatality  rate  ranged  from  20  deaths  per  million  inhabitants  in  Sweden  to  78  per 
million in Romania. 

To better understand these trends, the Commission worked with Member States to track 
their performance  on key performance indicators  related to  road safety.  These projects, 
Baseline6  and  Trendline7  produced  information  about  the  factors  associated  with  crash 
and  injury  risks  and  revealed  significant  differences  between  countries.  See  Section  2, 
below. 

6   https://baseline.vias.be/en/about-the-project. 

7   https://trendlineproject.eu/. 

4 

 
 
 
 
 
Road deaths by gender

Population vs road deaths by age-
group

Female; 
23%

%

40

30

20

10

0

Male; 77%

Seniors aged 65+

Young adults 18-24

% share of population

% share of road deaths

Figure  3  Breakdown  of  EU  road  deaths  by  gender  and  age  groups,  2023.  Sources:  EU  CARE 
database on road crashes; for population data, Eurostat (online data code demo_pjan) 

In  terms  of  the  geographic  and  demographic  breakdown  of  road  victims,  some  clear 
trends  emerge.  Rural  roads  are  still  the  most  dangerous  type  of  road.  Men  vastly 
outnumber women in road deaths. The disproportionately high share of young people and 
older people in road deaths – especially among people walking and on bicycles – is also a 
growing concern. 

Figure  4  Collision  matrix  of  EU  road  traffic  fatalities  by  road  user  and  other  main  vehicle 
involved in the crash, 2023. Source: EU CARE database on road crashes 

In  absolute  terms,  car  occupants  are  the  most  likely  to  die  in  road  crashes.  They 
constitute  around  44%  of  all  fatalities,  followed  by  pedestrians,  motorcyclists,  and 
cyclists. Relative to the number of vehicles on the road, however, motorcyclists are at far 
greater risk of dying in a road crash. Road workers and maintenance staff are a specific 

5 

 
 
 
 
risk  group.  Further  analysis  of  these  geographic  and  demographic  breakdowns  of  fatal 
road crashes can be found in reports of the EU Road Safety Observatory8. 

The  reports  show  that  a  high  number  of  car  occupant  and  motorcyclist  fatalities  result 
from  single-vehicle  crashes,  while  pedestrians  and  cyclists  are  particularly  vulnerable 
when they are involved in a collision with a car. 

Progress  in  protecting  vulnerable  road  users  such  as  pedestrians,  cyclists  and  users  of 
light  electric mobility devices has been mixed. Between 2019 and 2023, approximately 
900  fewer  pedestrians  were  killed.  However,  the  reduction  in  fatalities  among  cyclists 
and  motorcyclists  was  much  smaller,  with  decreases  of  around  100  in  each  category 
across  the  EU.  Within  towns,  almost  70%  of  the  people  killed  in  road  crashes  were 
vulnerable  road  users.  This  percentage  has  remained  stubbornly  high,  highlighting  the 
critical need for action to improve road safety in towns.  

At  the  same  time,  there  has  been  a  strong  increase  in  other  personal  mobility  devices 
such as e-scooters  on EU roads and a commensurate rise in  the number of injuries and 
fatalities in this category. Collection of data in the CARE database9 for this specific road 
user  category  started  in  2023.  Consideration  is  now  being  given  to  how  to  tackle  the 
safety  challenges  this  category  presents.  A  Commission  study10  in  2024  examined  the 
challenges  and  opportunities  associated  with  regulating  personal  mobility  devices  and 
recommended harmonised rules to address current fragmentation across the EU.  
The  Expert  Group  on  Urban  Mobility11  has  issued  a  series  of  recommendations12 , 
focused on protecting vulnerable road users. These favour implementing a speed limit of 
30  km/h  in  urban  areas  as  the  measure  with  greatest  impact,  followed  by  developing 
quality  requirements  for  road  infrastructure  that  serves  these  groups  such  as  safe 
pedestrian crossings and segregated walking and cycling paths. 

8  https://road-safety.transport.ec.europa.eu/european-road-safety-observatory/data-and-analysis/thematic-

reports_en. 

9   EU  database  with  disaggregated  data  on  road  crashes  leading  to  death  or  injury:  https://road-
safety.transport.ec.europa.eu/european-road-safety-observatory/methodology-and-research/care-
database_en. 

10   Study on the need for harmonised rules to support the rise of micro mobility and increased road safety 
for  personal  mobility  devices  –  Final  report  (1.0),  Publications  Office  of  the  European  Union,  2024 
https://data.europa.eu/doi/10.2873/8572224. 

11   Expert Group on Urban Mobility (E03863) established by Commission Decision C(2022) 5320 final. 

12    https://transport.ec.europa.eu/transport-themes/urban-transport/expert-group-urban-mobility_en. 

6 

 
 
 
 
2.  KEY BEHAVIOURAL RISK FACTORS  

Despite  decades  of  investment  on  road  safety,  awareness  campaigns  and  legislative 
measures, behavioural risk factors continue to claim lives. The main ones are excessive 
or inappropriate speed,  driving under the influence of alcohol  and/or drugs, distraction, 
and  the  failure  to  wear  a  seatbelt.  Further  details  on  each  of  these  risk  factors  can  be 
found  in  analysis  published  on  the  EU  Road  Safety  Observatory.13  The  following  are 
examples: 

Drink-driving:  about  25%  of  all  road  fatalities  in  the  EU  are  alcohol-related.  Random 
roadside  breath  testing  shows  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. 

Speeding:  excessive  or  inappropriate  speed  is  estimated  to  be  directly  responsible  for 
about 30% of all fatal road crashes in the EU. In many countries, compliance with speed 
limits falls below 50% on city roads. 

Distraction: in-depth EU crash analyses indicate that driver distraction is a contributory 
factor in 10–30% of fatal crashes, depending on country and data source. 

No seat belt: More than one-quarter of car occupants killed in crashes were not wearing 
a  seat  belt  at  the  time.  Observation  surveys  show  that  some  countries  report  rear-seat 
compliance rates below 50%, representing a significant safety gap. 

Measures  to  improve  road  safety  need  to  apply  the  Safe  System  approach  to  address 
these  behavioural  issues  alongside  other  measures  to  improve  road  infrastructure  and 
vehicle safety, and to deliver effective post-crash care.  

3.  KEY SYSTEMIC CHALLENGES 

Evidence from implementing EU and national strategies, action plans and other strategic 
documents,  and  from  feedback  from  Member  State  representatives,  suggests  that  a 
number of systemic challenges continue to impede progress towards the 2030 goals. 

•  Enforcement of road traffic rules remains a challenge, with structural shortages 

of road traffic police officers, and a shortage of automated camera systems. 

•  Limited  societal  acceptance,  particularly  of  enforcement  measures.  Public 
resistance  to  automated  enforcement,  lower  speed  limits,  and  stricter  penalties 
reflects  a  broader  cultural  indifference  to  the  need  to  prioritise  safety  over 
mobility  convenience.  Examples  include  setting  fire  to  speed  cameras  and  the 
removal by protesters of traffic-calming measures.  

•  Lack  of  capacity:  authorities  responsible  for  road  safety  infrastructure,  traffic 
adaptations  and  enforcement,  particularly  those  at  municipal  level,  often  lack 
qualified  staff.  There  are  persistent  shortages  in  many  EU  Member  States  of 
driving  instructors  and  examiners  and  of  people  responsible  for  the  technical 
inspection of vehicles. 

13   See 

https://road-safety.transport.ec.europa.eu/european-road-safety-observatory/data-and-
analysis/thematic-reports_en for detailed reports on driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs, 
protective  equipment  such  as  seat  belts,  distraction  and  speed.  See  also  https://road-
for  a  2022 
safety.transport.ec.europa.eu/eu-road-safety-policy/priorities/safe-road-use/alcohol_en 
study on the Prevention of driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs. 

7 

 
 
 
•  Insufficient funding: many Member States lack dedicated road safety budgets at 
national  and  local  level  and  thus  cannot  hire  qualified  staff  to  design  and 
implement road infrastructure safety projects or to maintain adequate numbers of 
enforcement staff. 

•  Political will at all levels remains inconsistent, with road safety often treated as a 
technical  rather  than  a  political  issue.  A  poor  understanding  of  the  economic, 
social and environmental impacts of road trauma may be behind the hesitation to 
act. 

•  Governance challenges persist, with responsibilities fragmented across different 

administrative levels and sectors.  

o  At the EU level, the strengthened mandate given to the High-Level Group 
on Road Safety14, enabling it to include strategic advice and more frequent 
feedback  may  not  always  have  led  to  the  issues  raised  by  EU  Member 
State representatives receiving adequate EU follow-up across road safety-
related policy areas. 

o  The EU’s road safety governance framework is not sufficiently structured 
to  accommodate  the  wider  roll-out  of  automated  vehicles  in  road  traffic, 
nor  to  exploit  big  data  for  the  purposes  of  road  safety  action.  Executive 
agencies  with  safety  mandates  have  been  established  for  other  transport 
modes  but  there  is  no  common  framework  to  support  the  monitoring, 
coordination  and  technical  work  needed  to  safely  roll-out  automated 
vehicles on EU roads. This may entail a missed opportunity for both road 
safety and the EU economy.  

o  Meanwhile, at the national level, despite many positive examples, a lack 
of coordination between transport, economic, health, justice and education 
authorities  often  thwarts  the  holistic  approach  to  road  safety  that  is 
needed15.  

14    https://road-safety.transport.ec.europa.eu/what-we-do/high-level-group-road-safety_en. 

15   The  WHO  recommends  appointing  a  ’lead  agency’,  drafting  national  strategies  and  setting  national 
quantified  targets.  See  Belin  M-Å,  Khayesi  M,  Tran  N.,  “‘Road  safety  is  no  accident’:  building 
efficient road safety lead agencies, strategies and targets in the world, 2009–2023”, Injury Prevention, 
15 July 2025,  http://doi:10.1136/ip-2024-045601 

8 

 
 
 
 
 
 
4.  WHAT HAS BEEN DONE SO FAR? 
The EU Road Safety Policy Framework 2021-203016 is the strategic policy document for 
the current decade. It identified four main fields of action (‘intervention areas’) matching 
the four pillars of the Safe System approach: safe roads and roadsides; safe vehicles; safe 
road use; and effective emergency response. The Commission has taken action in each of 
these areas in the form of legislation, funding, outreach and capacity-building.  

4.1. INFRASTRUCTURE SAFETY  

Building  good  roads  and  roadsides  is  key  to  increasing  the  safety  of  road  users.  In 
October  2019,  the  EU  adopted  a  revised  Directive  on  road  infrastructure  safety 
management  (the  RISM  Directive)17   with  a  view  to  reducing  both  the  number  and 
severity  of  crashes.  The  revised  rules  extended  the  scope  of  the  Directive  beyond  the 
trans-European  transport  network  (TEN-T),  to  motorways  and  primary  roads  and  to  all 
roads outside of urban areas that are built with the use of EU funds. This means that rural 
roads,  where  over  half  of  all  road  deaths  occur,  now  fall  within  the  scope  of  the 
Directive, ensuring that safety is integrated into all phases of road planning, design and 
operation. 

As part of this major exercise, Member States must perform regular network-wide road 
assessments, based on a risk scaling methodology that helps to better identify crash risks 
on specific sections of road. This will result in road safety inspections being targeted at 
the most dangerous sections and thus help to direct investment to where it is most needed 
The  Commission  has  made  available  guidance18  to  help  national  authorities  carry  out 
their task as well as a map of Europe19 showing the entire road network covered by the 
Directive. 

The  Commission  is  currently  preparing  guidance  on  the  design  of  safe  roads  and 
vulnerable  road  user-friendly  infrastructure,  as  a  follow  up  to  the  European  Cycling 
Declaration20  and  to  the  RISM  Directive’s  requirement  that  vulnerable  users  be 
systematically taken into account in all road safety management procedures. 
The Directive on Intelligent Transport Systems21 provides for static and dynamic traffic 
regulations  such  as  speed  limits  on  the  comprehensive  TEN-T  network,  motorways, 
primary roads and urban nodes. It will improve driver compliance and lead to safer and 

16   COM (2018) 293, Annex I. 

17   Directive  (EU)  2019/1936  of  the  European  Parliament  and  of  the  Council  of  23  October  2019 
amending Directive 2008/96/EC on road infrastructure safety management   (OJ L 305/1, 26.11.2019, 
ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dir/2019/1936/oj. 

18   Network  Wide  Road  Safety  Assessment  Methodology  and  Implementation  Handbook,  93e39cd2-

9e71-4ee0-8a8e-4de4fddaf068_en. 

19  

 TENtec Map Viewers - Explore the TEN-T Network | European Transport Infrastructure 

20   European Declaration on Cycling, OJ C/2024/2377, 3.4.2024. 

21   Directive  (EU)  2023/2661  of  the  European  Parliament  and  of  the  Council  of  22  November  2023 
amending  Directive  2010/40/EU  on  the  framework  for  the  deployment  of  Intelligent  Transport 
Systems  in  the  field  of  road  transport  and  for  interfaces  with  other  modes  of  transport  (OJ  L, 
2023/2661, 30.11.2023, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dir/2023/2661/oj). 

9 

 
 
 
 
smarter  traffic,  by  providing  support  for  intelligent  speed  assistance  and  cooperative, 
connected and automated mobility. 

4.2. VEHICLE SAFETY  

Safe vehicles are the second pillar of the Safe System. Vehicles have a significant impact 
on  road  safety  and  rapid  changes  in  technology  mean  they  require  constant  regulatory 
attention. 
The  General  Vehicle  Safety  Regulation22,  which  sets  minimum  safety  standards  for  all 
new  vehicles  sold  on  the  EU  market,  came  into  full  force  in  July  2024.  It  introduced 
requirements  with  significant  potential  to  improve  safety  such  as  intelligent  speed 
assistance,  lane  keeping  assist,  blind  spot  information  and  reversing  detection  systems, 
and  enlarged  head-impact  protection  zones  capable  of  mitigating  injuries  in  collisions 
with  vulnerable  road  users,  such  as  pedestrians  and  cyclists.  The  Commission  works 
continuously with Member States and stakeholders on implementing the Regulation and 
the regulatory framework for automated vehicles. 

In  April  2025,  the  Commission  proposed  to  revise  the  EU  rules  on  vehicle 
roadworthiness23.  The  goal  is  to  keep  vehicles  safe  during  their  entire  lifetime,  and  to 
reduce  air  and  noise  pollutant  emissions,  in  particular  in  the  advent  of  technological 
developments  and  against  the  background  of  an  aging  EU  vehicle  fleet.  The  proposed 
new rules are intended to adapt the periodic technical inspections undergone by electric 
vehicles  and  advanced  driver  assistance  systems,  to  introduce  mandatory  periodic 
technical  inspection  for  motorcycles  and  annual  inspections  for  older  cars  and  vans,  to 
bring in advanced emission testing methods to detect high-emitting vehicles and to make 
inspections  of  cargo  securing  mandatory  at  roadside  inspections.  It  is  estimated  that,  if 
implemented, all this would save around 7 000 lives and prevent around 65 000 serious 
injuries between 2026 and 2050.  

4.3. SAFE ROAD USE  

Safe  road  use,  which  includes  appropriate  speed  levels,  sober  and  undistracted  driving 
and the use of safety equipment, is the third area of action in the current EU Road Safety 
Policy  Framework  2021-2030  and  the  third  pillar  of  the  Safe  System  approach.  Driver 
licensing, targeted education and awareness-raising and strong enforcement regimes are 
significant  components  of  an  incentive  structure  encouraging  the  safe  use  of  roads  and 
vehicles. 

22   Regulation (EU) 2019/2144 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 27 November 2019 on 
type-approval  requirements  for  motor  vehicles  and  their  trailers,  and  systems,  components  and 
separate technical units intended for such vehicles, as regards their general safety and the protection of 
vehicle occupants and vulnerable road users. 

23   Proposal  for  a  Directive  of  the  European  Parliament  and  of  the  Council  amending  Directive 
2014/45/EU  on  periodic  roadworthiness  tests  for  motor  vehicles  and  their  trailers  and  Directive 
2014/47/EU  on  the  technical  roadside  inspection  of  the  roadworthiness  of  commercial  vehicles 
circulating in the Union, COM/2025/180 and Proposal for a Directive of the European Parliament and 
of  the  Council  on  the  registration  documents  for  vehicles  and  vehicle  registration  data  recorded  in 
national vehicle registers and repealing Council Directive 1999/37/EC, COM/2025/179. 

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In  October  2025,  the  EU  adopted  a  revision  of  the  Driving  Licence  Directive24.  In 
addition to introducing  mobile driving licences, the new rules provide for accompanied 
driving for young learners, stricter rules and/or penalties for novice drivers caught drink- 
and drug-driving, more risk-awareness, better protection of vulnerable road users, and a 
new framework allowing Member States to check a driver’s mental and physical fitness 
to drive throughout their lifetime.  

While  previous  EU  rules  improved  compliance  with  road  safety  regulations  by  non-
resident  drivers,  a  significant  loophole  remained:  approximately  40%  of  cross-border 
offences went unpunished due to challenges in identifying offenders and enforcing fines 
and driving disqualifications. These weaknesses have been addressed by the new Driving 
Licence  Directive.  For  major  offences,  such  as  drink-  or  drug-driving,  speeding  more 
than 50 km above the speed limit, or infringing road traffic regulations and causing death 
or serious injury to others, the Member State issuing a driving licence will be obliged to 
impose a driving disqualification similar to the penalty issued by the Member State in 
which the offence took place. This will give the penalty EU-wide effect. In addition, the 
newly  adopted  Cross-Border  Enforcement  (CBE)  Directive25  increases  cooperation 
among  Member  States  by  establishing  mutual  assistance  to  enforce  financial  penalties 
effectively for a wider range of road safety-related offences.    

Speed remains the leading contributory factor in road crashes. Excessive or inappropriate 
speed  is  involved  in  10-15%  of  all  crashes  and  around  30%  of  fatal  crashes  and 
exacerbates the consequences of all crashes. If a pedestrian is hit by a car at 30km/h they 
have  a  90%  chance  of  survival;  at  50km/h  their  chance  falls  to  20%26.  While  speed 
remains  a  politically  and  culturally  sensitive  issue,  initiatives  reducing  speed  bring 
significant  benefits  not  just  fewer  road  crashes,  fatalities  and  injuries,  but  also 
environmental benefits,  with  emissions, noise pollution levels  and fuel  consumption all 
decreasing. 

Many initiatives promoted at EU level already address speed inherently. They include the 
EU General  Vehicle Safety  Regulation  and the CBE Directive mentioned above. Many 
national,  regional,  and  local  authorities  have  already  introduced  or  are  planning  to 
introduce new speed management initiatives such as 30km/h zones in cities, particularly 
in areas where active and vulnerable road users and vehicles mix frequently in a planned 
manner27.  

24   Directive  (EU)  2025/2205  of  the  European  Parliament  and  of  the  Council  of  22  October  2025  on 
driving licences, amending Regulation (EU) 2018/1724 of the European Parliament and of the Council 
and Directive (EU) 2022/2561 of the European Parliament and of the Council, and repealing Directive 
2006/126/EC  of  the  European  Parliament  and  of  the  Council  and  Commission  Regulation  (EU)  No 
383/2012. 

25   Directive  (EU)  2024/3237  of  the  European  Parliament  and  of  the  Council  of  19 December  2024 
amending Directive (EU) 2015/413 facilitating cross-border exchange of information on road-safety-
related traffic offences. 

26   https://www.who.int/publications/m/item/speed-management--a-road-safety-manual-for-decision-

makers-and-practitioners.-2nd-edition. 

27   See  G.  Yannis  and  E.  Michelaraki,  ‘Effectiveness  of  30  km/h  speed  limit  –  A  literature  review’, 
Journal of Safety Research 92 (2025) 490–503 which states ‘Current scientific evidence indicated that 
the  introduction  of  30  km/h  speed  limits  in  cities  can  save  over  40%  of  lives,  alongside  significant 
positive  effects  on  the  environment,  energy  consumption  and  public  health,  including  reduced  fuel 
consumption and increased walking and cycling.’ 

11 

 
 
Others  have  opted  for  other  measures:  for  example,  they  have  focused  on  improving 
infrastructure  design  to  protect  vulnerable  road  users,  better  risk  identification  and 
management  or  separation  of  traffic  flows,  on  enforcing  speed  limits  and  on  better 
education and communication.   

4.4. EFFECTIVE EMERGENCY RESPONSE  

Rapid  emergency  response  is  crucial  in  saving  lives  and  in  reducing  the  severity  of 
injuries.  EU  action  on  post-crash  care,  the  fourth  pillar  of  the  Safe  System,  aims  to 
reduce the time between the crash and the arrival of medical teams at crash sites. Faster 
responses by emergency services improve survival chances significantly: one study from 
Spain28  indicated  that  a  10-minute  reduction  in  medical  response  is  associated  with  a 
decrease by one-third in the probability of death.  

Results  from  the  Trendline  study  indicate  that,  in  most  European  countries,  the 
emergency response time is 10 minutes or less in half of incidents. In 95% of cases, the 
emergency  response  is  about  25  minutes  or  less.  Responses  are  on  average  10  minutes 
longer in rural areas than in urban areas. 

EU legislation on eCall made automated 112-based emergency call systems mandatory in 
all new cars sold in the EU from 1 April 2018 onwards. Analysis in Finland29 indicates 
that the use of eCall reduces the time between the initial call to the emergency services 
and the arrival of medical teams  at the crash site from 25 to 22 minutes.  It  reduces the 
response time even more on motorways: from 20 to 14 minutes. 

In 2024, the Commission updated the eCall legislation to enable the use of eCall with the 
most  recent  communication  technologies30  from  1  January  2026  for  new  types  of 
vehicles and from 1 January 2027 for all new vehicles. By contrast, the phaseout of 2G 
and  3G  mobile  communication  networks  throughout  the  EU  in  the  coming  years  will 
create a risk that existing vehicles equipped with 2G-3G eCall devices will no longer be 
able to use the eCall service.  

4.5. EU-LEVEL COORDINATION AND OUTREACH  

The EU and its Member States have joint responsibility for and share competence in road 
safety policy. Improving safety requires coordinated action by all parties and at all levels 
of  governance:  public  authorities,  industry,  user  associations,  NGOs,  schools,  and 
researchers.  

At  the  EU  level,  the  High-Level  Group  on  Road  Safety,  comprising  high-ranking 
national  representatives  is  a  forum  for  exchange  and  consultation  with  Member  States. 
Members  of  the  High-Level  Group  discuss  progress  at  national  level  and  often  raise 
issues of common interest on which they would like to see action at EU level such as the 

28   Sánchez-Mangas R, García-Ferrrer A, de Juan A, Martín Arroyo A, ‘The probability of death in road 
traffic accidents. How important is a quick medical response?’, Accident Analysis & Prevention 2010, 
Volume 42, Issue 4, July 2010, pages 1048-1056, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aap.2009.12.012. 

29   https://trendlineproject.eu/media/pages/trendline-results/c0a640421f-1764252485/kpi-post-crash-care-

report.pdf 

30   IMS packet switched networks such as 4G and 5G. 

12 

 
 
 
 
regulation  of  personal  mobility  devices  or  the  application  of  road  traffic  rules  to 
automated vehicles.   

The  Commission  holds  biennial  road  safety  results  conferences  to  discuss  progress, 
exchange best practices,  and engage stakeholders. A European Coordinator for Road 
Safety coordinates efforts with Member States.  

The Commission encourages voluntary commitments under the European Road Safety 
Charter31,  the  world’s  biggest  civil  society  platform  for  road  safety  with  over  4 300 
members. Annual awards recognise innovative initiatives, including recognition for safe 
European cities.  

Using  EU  funding,  the  EU  Road  Safety  Exchange32 provides  capacity  building  and 
twinning  activities  for  Member  States  with  the  most  potential  to  improve  their 
performance.  Officials  build  partnerships  with  counterparts  in  other  countries  through 
exchanging  best  practices  and  showcasing  successful  initiatives.    Several  collaborative 
exchanges  have  resulted  in  tangible  progress  in  national  road  safety  strategies  and 
planning. After engaging with Sweden, Lithuania began work to broaden the application 
of  2+1  road  infrastructure33.  Romania  has  begun  preparations  to  instal  a  national  fixed 
speed  camera  network,  inspired  by  the  Spanish  system,  with  deployment  currently 
scheduled  for  2026.  Latvia  has  begun  examining  the  potential  for  in-depth  crash 
investigation,  taking  cues  from  Finland’s  methodology.  Meanwhile,  as  part  of  its  new 
road  traffic  law,  Greece  has  reduced  speed  limits  in  urban  areas  to  30  km/h  and  is  to 
introduce  additional  measures  aimed  at  improving  motorcyclist  safety,  following 
knowledge-sharing activities with Spain and Denmark.  

These advocacy efforts have succeeded in bringing together interested stakeholders in the 
road  safety  community  and  in  promoting  a  certain  level  of  mutual  assessment  and 
learning  among  Member  States.  But  the  political  prioritisation  of  road  safety  and  the 
mainstreaming of road safety concerns in other sectors such as economic policy, health 
and workplace safety remain predominantly a matter of national responsibility. 

4.6. FUNDING ROAD SAFETY  

Funding  is  the  key  to  implementing  road  safety  solutions  and  accelerating  progress  on 
road  safety  across  Europe,  particularly  in  countries  that  lag  behind  in  road  safety 
performance.   

The  EU  has  used  three  main  instruments  to  finance  national  and  regional  transport 
infrastructure  projects  contributing  to  road  safety:  the  European  Regional  Development 
Fund  (ERDF)  and  the  Cohesion  Fund  (CF),  where  management  is  shared  between  the 
Commission and the Member States, and the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF), which is 
managed directly by the Commission. In addition, the Recovery and Resilience Facility 
has supported projects contributing to road safety. 

31   https://road-safety-charter.ec.europa.eu/. 

32   https://etsc.eu/projects/eu-road-safety-exchange/. 

33   A 2+1 road is a type of road with  two lanes in one direction and one lane  in the  opposite direction, 
separated  by  a  median  or  barrier,  with  the  extra  lane  alternating  every  few  kilometres.  The  design 
allows  for  safe  overtaking  while  keeping  construction  costs  lower  than  building  a  full  dual 
carriageway. 

13 

 
  
 
Under CEF, the EU has also funded cross-border capacity building projects such as the 
network-wide  assessments  of  road  infrastructure,  the  key  performance  indicators, 
enforcement campaigns and the implementation of ITS services across borders.  

A recent European Court of Auditors (ECA) report34 estimated that over the last decade, 
EUR 6 663 million35 of ERDF, CF and CEF funding – representing just over 2% of the 
value of these funds – had been committed to projects involving road safety. However, 
these estimates also cover infrastructure and other projects where road safety is only an 
auxiliary objective and not the main purpose of the action. The Court recommended that 
EU co-funding be prioritised for initiatives that would have the greatest impact on road 
safety. 

Funding  has  also  been  made  available  for  further  research  under  the  Horizon  Europe 
programme, including for safe infrastructure, safe vehicles, safe road use and post-crash 
care. For the period 2021-2027, the amount allocated to road safety research projects is 
around  EUR  123  million,  representing  around  0.13%  of  the  total  value  of  the  current 
Horizon Europe programme. 

On the financing side, the European Investment Bank (EIB) has made embedding safety 
in  all  road  investments  a  priority  in  its  2022  Transport  Lending  Policy,  which  is 
scheduled for mid-term review in 2026. Road safety safeguards are moreover embedded 
in the Environmental and Social Standards that apply to all EIB operations. Through the 
Safer Transport Platform, the EIB supported targeted road safety  investments,  advisory 
support and technical  assistance, generating projects  across several EU  Member States. 
Within  the  EU,  the  EIB  mandates  compliance  with  the  RISM  and  Tunnel  Safety 
Directives36, including road safety impact assessments, and road safety audits. 

4.6.1.   SNAPSHOT OF EU-FUNDED ROAD SAFETY RESEARCH    

Between  2021  and  2025,  Horizon  Europe  supported  over  20 research  and  innovation 
projects focusing on road safety.   

EU-funded research activities on road safety have covered four main areas, matching the 
four pillars of the Safe System approach: safe infrastructure, safe vehicles, safe road use 
and fast and effective post-crash care. 

The infrastructure-related projects,  running until 2026-2027, aim to  create a framework 
for data-driven safety  assessment  (Evoroads37), to  develop  an infrastructure for optimal 
road safety monitoring (iDriving38), and to develop road safety solutions for vulnerable 
road users in urban contexts (Soteria39).    

34   European  Court  of  Auditors,  special  report  2024/04,  Reaching  EU  road  safety  objectives:  Time  to 
move up a gear, https://www.eca.europa.eu/ECAPublications/SR-2024-04/SR-2024-04_EN.pdf. 

35   CEF: EUR 1 477 million; ERDF and CF: EUR 5 186 million. 

36   Directive 2004/54/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 29 April 2004 on minimum 

safety requirements for tunnels in the Trans-European Road Network. 

37   https://evoroads-project.eu/. 

38   https://idriving-project.eu/. 

39   https://soteriaproject.eu/. 

14 

 
 
 
 
As  far  as  vehicle  safety  is  concerned,  current  projects  cover  topics  such  as  developing 
active  and  passive  safety  systems  for  future  autonomous  vehicles  (SAFE-UP40)  and 
mediating between human driving and automated driving (Mediator41).   

Recent  projects  on  safe  road  use  range  from  safety  assessment  for  road  users  in  urban 
areas  (PHOEBE42) 
to  urban  space  management  for  active  mobility  patterns 
(REALLOCATE43)  and  ways  to  detect  alcohol,  drugs  and  fatigue  among  commercial 
drivers (PANACEA44).   

Regarding  fast  and  effective  post-crash  care,  the  focus  is  on  developing  efficient, 
countermeasures and post-crash measures for all road transport methods, linking medical 
and  engineering  tools  (ProAct_Us45)  and  assessing  the  long-term  consequences  of  road 
traffic crashes (IMPROVA46).   

4.7. NATIONAL IMPLEMENTATION OF ROAD SAFETY ACTIONS 

Although  important  initiatives  are  being  pursued  at  EU  level  in  terms  of  legislation, 
funding,  research  and  outreach,  the  primary  responsibility  for  road  safety  lies  at  the 
national, regional and municipal levels.  

The country reports published with this report outline the many measures being taken at 
national level. In most cases, these measures are framed by multiannual strategies, action 
plans  or  government-level  programmes  of  action  that  set  distinct  national  priorities, 
allocate financing and set specific targets.  

It is clear from these country reports that sustained action, investment and prioritisation 
of  road  safety  has  paid  off  in  many  cases.  For  example,  although  they  still  face 
challenges, Poland, Lithuania and Slovenia have each achieved a reduction of 33-35% in 
road fatalities in 2024 compared to 2019, bringing them well on track to meet the target 
of a 50% reduction by 2030.   Meanwhile, some countries including Bulgaria, Romania 
and  Greece  still  record  significantly  higher  road  fatalities  than  the  EU  average 
highlighting  the  need  for  more  action  in  these  Member  States.  While  new  road  safety 
policy measures have been introduced in some countries in 2025, their impact is not yet 
reflected in the road safety data. 

40   https://www.safe-up.eu/. 

41   https://mediatorproject.eu/. 

42   https://phoebe-project.eu/. 

43 https://reallocatemobility.eu/. 

44 https://panacea-project.eu/. 

45 https://protact-us.eu/. 

46 https://improva-roadsafety.eu/. 

15 

 
 
 
Road fatalities per million population, 2019-2024

120

100

80

60

40

20

0

EU(2019): 51

EU(2024): 45

20 21 24 27 32 32 32 32 33 37 38 40 43 44 45 48 48 50 51 52 52 58 60 62 64 74 78

16 28 33

SE MT DK LU NL FI IE SI DE ES AT BE LT CY CZ SK FR EE IT PL HU PT LV HR EL BG RO

NO CH IS

EU 2019

EU 2024

EU 2024

EU 2019

Source: CARE (EU database on road crashes)

Figure 5 EU Road fatalities per million population 2019 – 2024. Sources: EU CARE database on 
road crashes; for population data, Eurostat (online data code demo_pjan) 

Successful  measures  can  differ  depending  on  the  national  context.  Notable  successes 
include  tailored  investment  in  road  infrastructure  and  urban  road  safety  in  Poland;  the 
implementation of a 30 km/h speed limit in urban centres nationwide in Spain; the rollout 
of  a  comprehensive  network  of  automated  traffic  cameras  in  France;  a  new  national 
political  road  safety  platform  for  all  levels  of  federal  and  regional  government  in 
Belgium;  and  well-researched  and  well-executed  road  safety  awareness  campaigns  in 
Denmark.  

Details  of  the  road  safety  profiles  of  each  Member  State  can  be  found  in  the  country 
reports published with this communication47.  

47   https://road-safety.transport.ec.europa.eu/index_en; https://eur-lex.europa.eu/homepage.html 

16 

 
 
 
 
 
5.   SOCIETAL AND TECHNOLOGICAL TRENDS WITH AN IMPACT ON ROAD SAFETY 
Several  issues  that  did  not  attract  much  attention  when  the  EU  Road  Safety  Policy 
Framework  2021-2030  was  adopted  have  since  emerged  as  areas  requiring  targeted 
action to reduce their impact on road safety.  

5.1. DEMOGRAPHIC TRANSFORMATIONS 

The  EU’s  demographic  structure  is  undergoing  significant  changes  with  direct 
implications  for  road  safety.  The  population  is  ageing,  with  the  proportion  of  citizens 
aged  65  and  above  projected  to  increase  from  22%  in  2024  to  30%  by  205048.  This 
demographic  shift  presents  unique  challenges,  as  older  road  users  become  more 
vulnerable  due  to  physical  frailty,  slower  reaction  times,  and  higher  injury  severity 
rates49. 

The  trend  towards  greater  urbanisation  continues,  with  over  75%  of  the EU  population 
now living in urban areas50. This concentration of people in built-up settings is creating 
new  mobility  dynamics,  including  a  greater  variety  of  mobility  modes,  increased 
pedestrian and cyclist volumes and higher traffic density. 

5.2. TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCEMENTS   

The automotive sector is undergoing an unprecedented technological transformation, one 
that has significant safety implications. Advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) are 
becoming  standard  features,  with  technologies  like  automatic  emergency  braking,  lane 
keeping  assist,  and  intelligent  speed  assistance  producing  measurable  safety  benefits. 
Ensuring that drivers accept these features is key to their success.  

traffic  management.  Vehicle-to-vehicle 

Connected  vehicle  technologies  are  enabling  real-time  hazard  warnings  and  the 
(V2V)  and  vehicle-to-
optimisation  of 
infrastructure  communication  can  alert  drivers  to  dangerous  conditions,  accident 
locations and optimal routes. Their deployment in Member States has demonstrated their 
added value. Emergency services are proven to reach their destinations faster and more 
safely,  and  road  operators  have  accurate  real-time  information  on  average  speeds  and 
traffic densities. The system grows more effective with the addition of each new vehicle, 
but comprehensive EU-wide coverage has still not been achieved, in particular for V2V 
services.  

The  gradual  introduction  of  automated  vehicles  presents  both  opportunities  and 
challenges. While higher levels of automation have been shown to reduce the impact of 

48   Source:  Eurostat  (online  data  codes  proj_23np  and  demo_pjanbroad),  relevant  Statistics  Explained 
article: 
https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-
explained/index.php?title=Population_structure_and_ageing#Past_and_future_population_ageing_tren
ds_in_the_EU. 

49   See  thematic  report  on  Seniors  at  https://road-safety.transport.ec.europa.eu/european-road-safety-
observatory/data-and-analysis/thematic-reports_en  and  https://etsc.eu/reducing-older-peoples-deaths-
on-european-roads-pin-flash-45/. 

50   Source: Eurostat (online data code  cens_21urb01), also see: https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/web/degree-

of-urbanisation/publications. 

17 

 
 
 
 
 
human  error,  the  transitional  period  will  bring  new  challenges  such  as  managing  safe 
interaction  between  autonomous  and  human-driven  vehicles  in  mixed  traffic,  ensuring 
the  safety  of  non-motorised  road  users  and  establishing  liability  for  traffic  collisions 
involving automated vehicles.  

5.3. EVOLVING MOBILITY PATTERNS 

The  transport  and  mobility  sector  is  being  transformed  by  new  services  and  changing 
road user behaviour. The proliferation of micromobility solutions  such as e-scooters, e-
bikes, and other personal mobility devices has created new categories of vulnerable road 
user;  these  users  often  have  to  share  scarce  urban  street  space  with  pedestrians  and 
cyclists. 

Ride-hailing  and  car-sharing  services  have  altered  trip  patterns,  potentially  increasing 
urban vehicle kilometres while concentrating activity into peak periods.  

The  gig  economy  has  expanded  delivery  services  using  motorcycles  and  bicycles 
operated by workers facing time pressures and economic constraints that often encourage 
risk-taking behaviours51, while the types of vehicles used by delivery drivers,  including 
illegally imported e-scooters or unapproved mopeds that exceed applicable speed limits, 
have increased road safety risks. 

5.4. IMPACTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE 

Climate  change  has  emerged  as  a  significant  but  underestimated  factor  affecting  road 
safety.  Extreme  weather  events  are  becoming  more  frequent  and  severe,  creating 
hazardous  driving  conditions.  Heatwaves  can  cause  road  surfaces  to  deteriorate  and 
affect  driver  performance,  while  increased  frequency  of  storms,  flooding  and  frosts 
creates  dangerous  conditions  requiring  adaptive  infrastructure  and  emergency  response 
capacities. 

Rising temperatures also affect vehicle performance, particularly that of electric vehicles, 
and  can  increase  the  risk  of  tyre  failure.  The  urban  heat-island  effect  exacerbates  these 
threats  in  cities,  where  surface  temperatures  can  significantly  exceed  ambient  air 
temperatures. 

5.5. CYBERSECURITY AND DATA USAGE 

Increasing connectivity between vehicles has led to new vulnerabilities that were barely 
recognised when the EU Road Safety Policy Framework 2021-2030 was first developed. 
Cybersecurity  threats  to  connected  and  automated  vehicles  have  the  potential  to  cause 
crashes,  disable  safety  systems  and  compromise  privacy,  which  will  be  addressed  also 
through the Cyber Resilience Act52.  

51   See: The human cost of fast deliveries: A systematic literature review of occupational risks and safety 
- 

outcomes 
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214140525001537. 

last-mile 

delivery 

workers 

in 

52 Regulation - 2024/2847 - EN - EUR-Lex 

18 

 
 
 
 
Data gathering has become much more prevalent over the last five years but the potential 
of big data has not yet been transformed into usable road safety insights. It is rare for in-
vehicle  data  held  by  vehicle  manufacturers,  incident  claim  data  held  by  insurers  and 
healthcare incident data held by hospitals and ambulance services  to be shared for road 
safety  purposes.  For  instance,  data  from  vehicle  electronic  data  recorders  is  only 
accessible  for  specific  research  purposes,  such  as  research  into  events  in  the  seconds 
preceding a specific crash but is not made available in disaggregated form to help inform 
policy-making.  

6.  ECONOMIC CONSEQUENCES OF NOT ADDRESSING ROAD SAFETY 

Road  crashes  impose  an  enormous  social,  economic  and  health  burden  on  the  EU 
economy.  The  external  socio-economic  costs  of  fatal,  serious  and  minor  injuries  are 
estimated  to  be  around  2%  of  EU  countries'  GDP53.  These  costs  have  remained 
persistently  high  despite  the  progress  made  in  reducing  crash  frequency  and  severity. 
Halving road deaths by 2030 (in relation to 2019) would prevent approximately 11 000 
fatalities and help cut the approximately 100 000 serious injuries on our roads each year. 

Healthcare  and  rehabilitation  costs  constitute  the  most  immediate  and  visible 
impact.  The  costs  of  emergency  medical  services,  hospitalisation, 
economic 
rehabilitation,  and  long-term  care  for  crash  victims  strain  healthcare  budgets  across 
Member States54. Moreover, the rate of serious injuries is declining at a slower pace than 
that  of  fatalities.  The  costs  of  dealing  with  mental  health  impacts  on  crash  survivors, 
families and witnesses add a further economic burden55. 

Lost productivity and economic output make up a second  major component  of crash 
impact. Every road death equates to decades of lost life, both at home and at work, while 
serious  injuries  often  result  in  permanent  disability  or  reduced  capacity  to  work.  The 
productivity losses are the result of reduced working time and human-capital replacement 
costs, but also a result of the affected individuals being unable to carry out unpaid work 
such as household chores or volunteering. 

Infrastructure and emergency response costs include emergency services deployment, 
traffic  management  during  incident  clearance,  property  damage,  and  vehicle  repair  or 
replacement. These direct costs are increasing as vehicles and road infrastructure become 
more technologically sophisticated and so more expensive to repair or replace. 

Administrative  costs  arise  from  the  expense  of  deploying  police,  fire  and  other  (non-
medical) emergency services at the site of crashes. There are also further costs associated 
with the administration of justice such as legal costs, the costs of prosecuting offenders 
and the costs of lawsuits and insurance. 

53   European Commission Handbook on the external costs of transport 2019 (new version forthcoming). 

54   See: Study to Support Assessment of the EU Road Safety Policy Framework 2021-2030 At the Mid-

Point https://data.europa.eu/doi/10.2832/2974277; https://op.europa.eu/en/  

55   As an example, the Horizon Europe-funded IMPROVA project carried out a systemic review of over 
1 400  studies  on  the  psychological  effects  of  road  crashes  and  found  a  range  of  long-term 
consequences including stress-related disorders (such as post-traumatic stress disorder and adjustment 
disorders),  anxiety  disorders  and  phobias,  affective  mood  disorders,  (such  as  depression)  and  other 
functioning disorders. 

19 

 
 
 
In  addition  to  the  direct  costs,  road  crashes  generate  significant  indirect  economic 
impacts. Examples include the lost time and increased fuel consumption generated by the 
traffic congestion caused by crashes.  

7.  INVESTMENT NEEDS 

Reaping  the  potential  economic  benefit  from  preventing  road  crashes  requires  making 
substantial  but  cost-effective  investments.  Coordinated  funding  across  all  levels  of 
improvements,  enhanced 
government 
enforcement, vehicle safety technologies and education programmes.  

infrastructure 

is  needed 

in  place 

to  put 

However,  research  demonstrates  that  the  economic  return  on  these  investments 
significantly  exceeds  the  costs,  making  road  safety  improvement  one  of  the  most  cost-
effective  public  policy  measures  available56.  The  economic  case  for  accelerated  road 
safety  action  is  compelling,  with  the  costs  of  inaction  far  exceeding  the  investment 
required for effective action. 

In its 2024 special report, the ECA noted that road safety was often not a key selection 
criterion  for  infrastructure  projects  co-funded  by  the  EU;  selection  criteria  often 
overlooked  road  sections  with  high  accident  rates.  The  ECA  recommended  clearer 
prioritisation so that future funding efforts focus on those measures most likely to reduce 
fatalities and serious injuries. 

In addition to the need for investment in new and re-designed road infrastructure, funding 
must also be earmarked for maintaining that road infrastructure. Not only are there more 
new  vehicles  on  EU  roads  –  since  2019  there  has  been  an  increase  of  nearly  5  million 
passenger cars and over 270 000 trucks57 – but the impact of climate change is manifest 
in the increased frequency and intensity of fires, storms and floods, all of which have an 
impact  on  road  integrity  and  safety.  A  further  consideration  is  the  increasing  need  to 
facilitate military mobility and dual-use requirements across the EU, requiring upgrades 
to selected sections of road infrastructure (including roads, bridges and tunnels) to ensure 
structural  robustness  and  operational  resilience.  Such  upgrades  should  be  designed  to 
avoid creating new bottlenecks, and to maintain functionality under increased loads and 
stressed conditions (e.g. increased heavy vehicle flows, incident-related rerouting). 

The  road  risk  factors  and  challenges  also  emphasise  the  continued  need  to  invest  in 
detection and enforcement capabilities for speeding, drink- and drug-driving, distraction, 
failure  to  observe  red  lights  and  wear  a  seatbelt.  These  investments  need  to  ensure 
sufficient resourcing of police services to man and administer roadside checks and must 
support automated camera-based detection and enforcement systems.  

Enforcement should be accompanied by funding of effective road safety awareness and 
education  campaigns.  Such  campaigns  need  to  be  tailored  to  various  target  audiences 
(children,  adolescents,  learner  and  novice  drivers,  more  experienced  drivers  and  other 

56   A 

study 

Dutch 

recent 

(https://swov.nl/nl/publicatie/verkeersveiligheidseffecten-van-2e-
tranchemaatregelen)  estimated  that  the  ratio  of  costs  to  benefits  in  national  road  infrastructure 
investments was between 1:7 and 1:2.5. An older report by  the Conference of European Directors of 
Roads 
safety  measures: 
https://www.cedr.eu/download/Publications/2008/e_Road_Safety_Investments_Report.pdf.   

summarised 

cost-benefit 

range  of 

ratios 

road 

the 

for 

a 

57   https://www.acea.auto/publication/report-vehicles-on-european-roads-2025/. 

20 

 
 
 
 
road users such as people cycling and using personal mobility devices) and to different 
risk groups such as young men, older people and motorcyclists. They are best carried out 
at  the  national  or  regional  level,  but  Member  State  authorities  have  asked  the  EU  to 
support  the  preparation  and  execution  of  such  campaigns58  and  to  facilitate  with 
exchanges of best practice59. 

8.  THE WAY FORWARD  

This  mid-term  report  reveals  the  need  for  accelerated  and  targeted  action  on  multiple 
fronts.  The  Commission  has  identified  a  series  of  priorities  for  all  relevant  levels  of 
governance (EU  and national), pursuing existing  or new actions  that require immediate 
attention, sustained commitment and dedicated financing from all stakeholders. 

8.1.  ACCELERATING  INFRASTRUCTURE  SAFETY  IMPROVEMENTS  AND  DEPLOYING 

INTELLIGENT TRANSPORT SYSTEMS 

The continuing challenge to reduce road deaths and serious injuries demands prioritised 
investment in road infrastructure upgrades. 

The  Commission  is  currently  drafting  guidance  to  authorities  responsible  for  road 
infrastructure on the design of ‘forgiving roadsides’, ‘self-explaining and self-enforcing 
roads’  and  quality  requirements  for  road  infrastructure  for  vulnerable  road  users.  This 
guidance will be published in 2026.  
The  TEN-T  Regulation60  was  also  updated  in  2024  to  include  new  safety  requirements 
for  the  European  network.  Sustainable  urban  mobility  plans  (SUMPs)  must  now  also 
address road  safety  issues  and  Member States are required to  collect  data on safety  for 
each  urban  node.  The  infrastructure  planning  must  meet  operational  needs,  including 
safety. 

The Commission commits to:  

• 

continuing to support Member States deal with issues identified in the road safety 
country reports (accompagnying this report), including when such support would 
be identified by Member States in their national and regional partnership plans for 
investment and reforms for the financing period 2028-2034; 

•  making  road  infrastructure  investments  in  the  EU  conditional  upon  inclusion  of 
road  safety  elements  in  those  road  sections  having  the  greatest  potential  to 

58   For example, the EU has co-funded, through Erasmus+, the ‘Knights for Road Safety’ programme of 

road safety education for school children. 

59   Road  safety  education  campaigns  are  frequently  showcased  at  the  annual  EU  Excellence  in  Road 

Safety Awards. 

60   Regulation (EU) 2024/1679 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 13 June 2024 on Union 
guidelines for the development of the trans-European transport network, amending  Regulations (EU) 
2021/1153 and (EU) No 913/2010 and repealing Regulation (EU) No 1315/2013. 

21 

 
 
 
 
improve safety61 and where targeted  action can deliver the most improvement62, 
including for vulnerable road users; 

supporting  Member  States  in  implementing,  in  their  road  investments,  the 
forthcoming 2026 guidance on the design of forgiving roadsides, self-explaining 
and self-enforcing roads and infrastructure for vulnerable road users; 

supporting Member States in incorporating road safety, resilience and operability 
requirements into road maintenance and upgrade projects undertaken to facilitate 
military  mobility  or  dual  use,  particularly  those  addressing  bottlenecks  such  as 
bridges  and  tunnels,  including  through  guidance  on  design;  to  this  end,  road 
safety  procedures  set  out  in  Directive  2008/96/EC  should  be  considered  for  the 
road sections that are out of its scope but are relevant for military mobility;  

supporting  the  provision  of  a  wider  range  of  road  safety-related  minimum 
universal  traffic  information  free  of  charge  to  users,  possibly  including  events 
such as ‘end of queue’ or ‘emergency vehicles approaching’ across an extended 
technical 
geographical  network; 
specifications63  is  planned  under  the  Intelligent  Transport  Systems  (ITS) 
Directive64;   

this  end,  a  revision  of  the  current 

to 

further supporting Member States in the roll-out of improved traffic management 
and smart enforcement solutions65;  

considering  how  best  to  promote  the  further  uptake  of  cooperative  intelligent 
transport systems (C-ITS), including through technical specifications; 

issuing  a  guidance  document  to  Member  States  on  the  continuity  of  the  eCall 
service for 2G/3G eCall-equipped vehicles, including on possible regulatory tools 
at national level to maintain at least one circuit-switched network until 2030. 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

8.2. STRENGTHENING ENFORCEMENT AND DETERRENCE  

The  effectiveness  of  road  safety  measures  depends  critically  on  consistent  and  visible 
enforcement. 

The Commission will: 

61   Based  on  RISM  Directive,  Art  5,  Art 6(a)  and 6(d),  establishing  the  EU  map of  risk rating  of roads 
covering  the  TEN-T  Road  Network,  all  motorways,  all  primary  roads  connecting  major  cities  or 
regions and all EU funded inter-urban roads.  

62   Priority should be given to the most problematic road sections identified  in the ‘Network Wide Road 
Safety Assessment Methodology and Implementation Handbook’ (European Commission, 2023), or in 
accordance with the national methodologies complying with Article 5 of Directive 2008/96/EC (RISM 
Directive). 

63   Commission  Delegated  Regulation  (EU)  No 886/2013  of  15 May  2013  supplementing  Directive 
2010/40/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council with regard to data and procedures for the 
provision, where possible, of road safety-related minimum universal traffic information free of charge 
to users. 

64   Directive  (EU)  2023/2661  of  the  European  Parliament  and  of  the  Council  of  22  November  2023 
amending  Directive  2010/40/EU  on  the  framework  for  the  deployment  of  Intelligent  Transport 
Systems in the field of road transport and for interfaces with other modes of transport. 

65   https://transport.ec.europa.eu/transport-themes/urban-transport/expert-group-urban-mobility_en 

22 

 
 
 
• 

continue to support Member States in developing robust enforcement strategies to 
address  the  persistent  challenges  of  speeding,  drink-driving,  and  distraction  by 
sharing  best  practices  through  initiatives  and  groups  such  as  the  High-Level 
Group  on  Road  Safety,  the  Road  Safety  Exchange  programme,  the  European 
Road Safety Charter and CARE expert group. This includes the use of automated 
enforcement  technologies,  and  providing  evidence-based  research  on  successful 
approaches; 

• 

continue  to  enable  effective  cooperation  between  driving  licence  and  vehicle 
registration authorities, including through the use of IT tools such as MoveHub;  

•  make mutual  assistance  in  the enforcement of road safety-related offences more 
effective with better defined procedures and provide financial support to that end; 

• 

issue guidance for Member states on speed management.  

8.3. ADVANCING VEHICLE SAFETY TECHNOLOGIES  

Building  on  decades  of  vehicle  safety  regulation,  most  recently  the  General  Vehicle 
Safety Regulation66, the Commission will: 

•  work  to  accelerate  the  deployment  of  advanced  safety  systems  and  support  the 

transition to connected and automated vehicles; 

•  carry  out  an  evaluation  of  the  safety  measures  of  the  General  Vehicle  Safety 

Regulation in 2027. 

Additionally,  the  Commission  is  facilitating  the  creation  of  cross-border  testbeds, 
enabling  large-scale  pre-deployments  of  autonomous  vehicles  for  both  passenger  and 
goods  transport  under  a  single  cross-border  permitting  scheme.  These  testbeds  should 
help  market  readiness  and  commercialisation  of  autonomous  vehicles  and  identify 
features  that  may  need  to  be  fine-tuned  for  safety  purposes.  This  initiative  will  enable 
Member  States  to  further  roll  out  connected  infrastructure  (including  cooperative 
intelligent  transport  systems  (C-ITS))  to  share  data  faster  across  vehicles  and 
infrastructure, further improving road safety. 

8.4. NEW FORMS OF MOBILITY  

Building  on  a  study67  examining  the  challenges  and  opportunities  associated  with 
regulating personal mobility devices, the Commission commits to: 

•  Drawing  conclusions  on  the  potential  benefits  of  harmonising  technical 

specifications of personal mobility devices68 . 

•  preparing  guidance  to  Member  States  and  regional  and  local  administrations  on 
what issues should be taken into account to ensure the safety of riders and other 

66   Regulation (EU) 2019/2144 

67   Study on the need for harmonised rules to support the rise of micro mobility and increased road safety 
for  personal  mobility  devices  –  Final  report  (1.0),  Publications  Office  of  the  European  Union,  2024 
https://data.europa.eu/doi/10.2873/8572224. 

68   As  requested  by  Transport  Ministers  at  the  Transport,  Telecom  and  Energy  Council  meeting  in 

December 2025. 

23 

 
  
 
 
road  users  during  the  use  of  personal  mobility  devices;  this  will  expand  on  the 
guidance set out in the 2021 SUMP Topic Guide on Safe Use of Micromobility69. 

8.5. RESEARCH AND INNOVATION INITIATIVES   

The current 2021-2027 Horizon Europe programme will continue to prioritise road safety 
research  and  innovation,  with  a  particular  focus  on  understanding  and  addressing 
emerging  challenges.  Priority  research  areas  include  road  safety  and  road  resilience  in 
rural areas, the safety of vulnerable road users such as pedestrians, cyclists and users of 
micromobility  devices,  and  the  use  of  artificial  intelligence  and  big  data  to  predict  and 
avoid road crashes. 

The  Commission  will  also  support  innovation  in  vehicle  safety  technologies,  including 
human/technology  interfaces  in  vehicle  systems.  It  will  further  encourage  collaboration 
between  automotive  manufacturers,  technology  companies,  and  research  institutions 
through  the  partnership  for  connected,  cooperative  and  automated  mobility  (CCAM 
Partnership). 

8.6. EDUCATION AND AWARENESS-RAISING  

The  Commission  will  continue  to  support  exchanges  of  best  practice  on  road  safety 
education and awareness-raising, particularly through the EU Road Safety Charter70, the 
EU Road Safety Exchange and its biennial conferences.   

The Commission will also look to embed road safety education and awareness raising in 
other EU funding and outreach instruments, including in Erasmus+ and when identified 
by Member States in their national and regional partnership plans for the financing period 
2028-2034, particularly in relation to urban and rural mobility. 

8.7. THE ROLE OF THE PRIVATE SECTOR AND EMPLOYERS IN ROAD SAFETY  

The Commission will call on both private and public sector employers to adopt corporate 
policies  that  prioritise  safety  in  business  operations.  These  could  be  modelled  on  the 
recommendations  from  the  academic  expert  group  to  the  4th  Global  Ministerial 
Conference on Road Safety71 that took place in Marrakech, Morocco, in April 2025. 

These  recommendations  include  ensuring  that  road  safety  features  in  workplace  safety 
regulations and practices, with government authorities and organisations leading the way. 
This could be achieved by implementing a cross-organisation safety culture and applying 
safety management systems such as ISO 45001 or ISO 39001.  

Civil  society  organisations,  including  road  safety  advocacy  groups,  victim  support 
organisations  and  professional  associations,  play  crucial  roles  in  maintaining  public 

69   https://urban-mobility-observatory.transport.ec.europa.eu/sustainable-urban-mobility-plans/expert-

corner-sump-reference-materials_en. 

70   https://road-safety-charter.ec.europa.eu/. 

71   Saving Lives Beyond 2025: Taking Further Steps: Recommendations of the Academic Expert Group 
for the 4th Global Ministerial Conference on Road Safety, Swedish Transport Administration, 2025. 

24 

 
  
 
 
 
awareness,  supporting  policy development,  and  providing services to  crash victims and 
their families. 

The  Commission  will  continue  to  push  for  such  involvement  of  the  private  and  third 
sectors  in  road  safety,  including  through:  its  biennial  conferences,  the  EU  Road  Safety 
Charter and the annual EU Excellence in Road Safety Awards72. 

8.8. MONITORING AND ACCOUNTABILITY 

The  Commission  will  continue  to  offer  monitoring  and  accountability  mechanisms  to 
road safety practitioners to drive progress towards the 2030 goals and ultimately to reach 
Vision Zero by 2050. This will be achieved by means of: 

• 

• 

the CARE database and  the expert group  to  collect  road fatality and injury data 
using  standardised  reporting  tools,  and  through  work  with  Member  States  on 
enhancing  the  quality  of  the  data  collected  on  serious  injuries  and  on 
disaggregating data for certain vehicle types; 
the  European  Road  Safety  Observatory73  and  the  publication  of  reliable  and 
comparable  data  on  road  crashes  and  in-depth  analysis  and  information  on  road 
safety trends, practices and policies in the EU. 

8.9. ADDRESSING ISSUES OF GOVERNANCE  

Continued exchanges of  best  practice  among  Member States and  appropriate  follow-up 
on  issues  raised  through  the  High-Level  Group  on  Road  Safety,  facilitated  by  the 
Commission, are expected to lead to further improvements.  

Addressing new challenges can be done through type approval, national measures or EU 
legislation.  Building  better  infrastructure  relies  mostly  on  national  funding  and  road 
safety has to compete with other national political priorities. Education and enforcement 
will  remain  a  national  responsibility,  subject  to  resource  allocations  and  political  will. 
With the recent EU road safety legislative package74 entering into force and subject to the 
outcome on the roadworthiness proposals, road safety-related measures falling under EU 
competence have been updated. Overall, progress is likely to be steady, but incremental 
and to depend greatly on political will.  

At  the  same  time,  the  EU  road  safety  stakeholder  eco-system  is  not  set  up  to  reap  the 
potentially  significant  road  safety  benefits  that  advances  in  vehicle  automation 
technologies  promise.  Although  the  automotive  action  plan75  identifies  this  area  as 

72   https://road-safety-charter.ec.europa.eu/content/excellence-road-safety-awards. 

73   https://road-safety.transport.ec.europa.eu/european-road-safety-observatory_en. 

74   This  comprised  three  directives:  Directive  (EU)  2025/2205  of  the  European  Parliament  and  of  the 
Council  of  22  October  2025  on  driving  licences;  Directive  (EU)  2025/2206  of  the  European 
Parliament  and  of  the  Council  of  22  October  2025  amending  Directive  (EU)  2025/2205  as  regards 
certain  driving  disqualifications;  Directive  (EU)  2024/3237  of  the  European  Parliament  and  of  the 
Council of 19 December 2024 amending Directive (EU) 2015/413 facilitating cross-border exchange 
of information on road-safety-related traffic offences. 

75   Communication  from  the  Commission  to  the  European  Parliament,  the  Council,  the  European 
Economic  and  Social  Committee  and  the  Committee  of  the  Regions,  Industrial  Action  Plan  for  the 

25 

 
 
  
 
 
crucial  component  of  the  EU’s  future  competitiveness  agenda,  the  institutional 
framework beyond trials has yet to be set up. There is, however, significant potential for 
such structures to be funded largely through user charges.  

When reflecting on governance issues, the needs of strategic cross-border corridors and 
nodes  should  be  considered,  including  those  serving  dual-use  functions.  This  includes 
ensuring  coherence  between  road  safety,  TEN-T  implementation,  cybersecurity  and 
resilience considerations. 

The Commission commits to:  

• 

expanding  capacity-building  projects  and  exchanges  of  good  practice  on  road 
safety between authorities at all levels of government; 

•  providing more structured feedback to Member States on shared concerns raised 

by them in the High-Level Group on Road Safety; 

• 

reflecting  on  the  need  for  changes  to  EU  governance  structures  concerning  the 
safe introduction of connected and automated vehicles. 

The Commission calls on Member States to: 

• 

• 

• 

ensure  that  they  have  in  place  well-functioning  road  safety  governance  and 
coordination structures and entities; 

allocate adequate funding to safety programmes;  

commit to regular monitoring and reporting of progress.  

The Commission calls on local and regional authorities to: 

• 

adopt comprehensive approaches to road safety that integrate safety into land-use 
and transport planning;  

• 

implement speed management strategies; 

•  provide adequate infrastructure for vulnerable road users; 

•  develop emergency response capabilities.  

9.  CONCLUSION 

This  review  of  implementation  of  the  EU  Road  Safety  Policy  Framework  2021-2030 
reveals  a  sobering  reality:  while  progress  has  been  made,  the  pace  of  improvement  is 
insufficient in  many Member States to  achieve  the EU’s  goal  for  2030.  But  the review 
also has some positives: it spotlights some effective measures that could be replicated or 
scaled  up  and  reports  on  the  promising  introduction  of  new  technologies  and  methods 
that can improve road safety. Moreover, some actions and investments take time to have 
an impact and are not immediately reflected in the road safety data. It is important that 
the Commission and Member States continue to take actions to achieve both short-term 
and long-term positive effects. 

European  automotive  sector,  COM/2025/95  final  of  5  March  2025,  https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-
content/EN/TXT/?uri=celex:52025DC0095. 

26 

 
 
 
 
The results summarised in this report illustrate how much can be achieved when actors at 
all  levels  –  from  individuals  to  EU-level  governing  structures  –  contribute  to  the  Safe 
System  approach,  within  their  areas  of  responsibility.  But  the  slow-down  in  progress 
towards Vision Zero – against a background of increased traffic growth and new societal 
and technological trends – calls into question whether the current road safety ‘toolbox’ is 
fit for the future.  

The analysis shows that road safety challenges are becoming more complex, influenced 
by  demographic  change,  technological  transformation,  climate  change  and  shifting 
mobility  patterns  that  were  not  fully  anticipated  when  the  EU  Road  Safety  Policy 
Framework 2021-2030 was developed.  

the  report  also  reveals  significant  opportunities 

However, 
to  make  progress. 
Technological advances in vehicle safety, growing awareness of the economic benefits of 
investments  in  safety,  and  an  increasing  political  focus  on  sustainable  mobility  create 
favourable conditions for accelerated action.  

The  key  is  to  harness  these  opportunities  through  coordinated,  sustained,  and  properly 
resourced  efforts  across  the  EU  and  within  Member  States  at  all  levels  of  government 
and society. Investments in road safety generate substantial returns, not only in the form 
of  avoided  costs  but  also  in  improved  quality  of  life  and  economic  productivity.  The 
argument for action is compelling from both the social and economic perspectives. 

Success  will  depend  on  renewed  political  commitment,  adequate  funding,  greater 
cooperation  between  stakeholders,  and  a  willingness  to  adopt  innovative  approaches  to 
persistent  challenges.  The  Commission  stands  ready  to  support  Member  States  and 
stakeholders  in  this  critical  endeavour,  mindful  that  achieving  Vision  Zero  will  require 
collective action and shared responsibility. 

The lives that can be saved, the injuries that can be prevented, and the economic benefits 
that can be won justify the sustained efforts that will be required to achieve the EU’s road 
safety objectives.  

The  Commission  calls  on  Member  States  and  all  stakeholders  to  urgently  embrace  the 
challenge to create a future where the EU moves as close as possible to zero fatalities in 
road  transport  and  mobility  is  sustainable  and  safe.  Without  renewed  commitment, 
investment and action in all Member States and at EU level,  this drive to save lives on 
our roads will remain a mere aspiration.   

27