COMMISSION STAFF WORKING DOCUMENT Monitoring Road Safety Progress in the EU - Greece Accompanying the document 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, Greece, accident prevention, common transport policy, innovation, road safety, road transport, transport accident, transport infrastructure, transport statistics

EN 

  EN 

   EUROPEAN COMMISSION  Brussels, 13.2.2026  SWD(2026) 44 final  COMMISSION STAFF WORKING DOCUMENT Monitoring Road Safety Progress in the EU - Greece Accompanying the document 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 {COM(2026) 77 final} - {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) 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}  
 
 
Contents 

1. 

2. 

2.1. 

2.2. 

2.3. 

2.4. 

2.5. 

3. 

3.1. 

3.2. 

4. 

4.1. 

4.2. 

4.3. 

5. 

Summary ............................................................................................................ 2 

Road Safety Strategy and Measures .................................................................. 3 

Road Safety Strategic Plan ............................................................................. 3 

Road Safety Governance................................................................................ 4 

Main Safety Issues ......................................................................................... 4 

Road Safety Targets ....................................................................................... 5 

Road Safety Measures.................................................................................... 6 

Road Safety Progress ......................................................................................... 6 

Road Safety Outcomes ................................................................................... 6 

Road Safety Performance Indicators ............................................................. 9 

Monitoring Road Safety Strategy Implementation .......................................... 10 

Implementation Progress ............................................................................. 10 

Best Practices ............................................................................................... 16 

Gaps ............................................................................................................. 16 

Conclusions and Recommendations ................................................................ 17 

1 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Greece 

1. Summary 

In  2024,  Greece  had  the  third  highest  fatality  rate  in  the  EU,  with  64  road  fatalities  per 
million inhabitants, while the EU average was 45. Compared to 2019, a decrease of 3% in road 
fatalities was recorded. Positively, a significant decrease (21%) of the number of road fatalities 
was observed over the first 10 months of 2025 due, in part, to increased enforcement of helmet 
use and not driving under the influence of alcohol. Building on this, the new Road Traffic Code 
(KOK), effective as of mid-2025, establishes key road safety upgrades. This puts Greece on 
track for achieving the EU and national target of a 50% reduction in fatalities by 2030. 

Compared  to  the  EU  average,  Greece  shows  a  high  proportion  of  powered  two-wheeler 
fatalities (38% of the total fatalities compared to the 19% EU average) and fatalities on urban 
roads (54% of the total fatalities compared to the 39% EU average). Also, speeding is among 
the main safety issues in Greece, which has resulted in fatalities in single-vehicle crashes at a 
rate of 41% (EU  average:  31%). Greece has also much lower helmet  and seatbelt  use rates 
compared to the EU average. 

In the road safety strategic plan for the decade 2021-2030, the targets of halving the numbers 
of road fatalities and serious injuries by 2030 compared to 2019 have been set. Also, the 
strategic  plan  includes  six  additional  targets  for  the  reduction  of  road  fatalities,  aiming  to 
address the main road safety issues identified in the country (i.e. high ratio of PTW fatalities, 
high  number  of  road  casualties  inside  urban  areas  and  in  touristic  regions,  a  stable  ratio  of 
fatalities on motorways over time despite the upgrading of road infrastructure, etc.).  

Based  on  the  latest  available  preliminary  data  for  2025,  Greece  is  currently  on  track  to 
achieving the 2030 targets of halving the number of fatalities, with a decrease of 23,7% since 
2019. Similarly, Greece is also getting on track to reach the 2030 target of 50% reduction in 
serious injuries, with a 22,2% reduction since 2019.  

Additionally, in order to better monitor the road safety effort and progress during the decade 
2021-2030, quantitative targets for 8 road safety key performance indicators (KPIs) have 
been set  in  the strategic  plan. Data for 4 KPIs were  collected in  2025  in  the context of the 
Trendline project. Progress is demonstrated in some of the Key Safety Performance Indicators, 
like the increase of helmet use from 79% in 2022 to 86% in 2025 and the increase of speed 
limit compliance in urban areas from 60% in 2022 to 73% in 2025.  

The Greek road safety strategic plan includes 200 road safety measures, allocated to five road 
safety  pillars.  Based  on  the  self-reported  assessment,  overall,  Greece  starts  from  a  medium 
level in terms of implemented road safety actions and measures up to 2021. The “safe roads” 
pillar is well advanced in terms of motorways, as new long sections have been delivered while 
others  will  be  delivered  soon  and  in  the  coming  years.  Several  road  safety  treatments  in 
identified  high-risk  sites  have  been  implemented  in  the  various  regions  of  Greece,  together 
with interventions in several Greek cities. 

In terms of the “safe road use/ behaviour” pillar, after a couple of years of preparation, the new 
Road Traffic Code was recently adopted (in force since September 2025) and there has been 
an  intensification  of  enforcement  of  the  most  serious  offences  of  non-use  of  helmet  and 
drinking-and-driving, which led to significant safety improvements in 2025. The new higher 

2 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
fines  system  targets  the  most  serious  offences  with  emphasis  on  recidivists  and,  most 
importantly, is coupled with the massive deployment of cameras (gradually up to 4.000) and a 
new digital fines management system, which are expected to make enforcement much more 
efficient and systematic, starting from early 2026. 

Some progress has also been observed in the “road safety management” pillar with a higher 
coordination  of  the  competent  Ministries  and  the  planned  establishment  of  a  new  National 
Road  Safety  Authority  to  be  called  ODYSEAS  with  increased  competencies  in  terms  of 
managing  the  various  road  safety  funds  and  the  monitoring  of  the  road  safety  policy 
implementation. 

Progress in the “safer vehicles” pillar concerns mainly a higher pace of vehicle fleet renewal, 
but still a high volume of old vehicles are circulating in traffic and need to be replaced. Limited 
progress is observed for the pillar on post-crash management.  

In summary, the implementation of the national road safety strategy has intensified in the recent 
period  and  significant  progress  can  be  observed  in  in  the  clear  recent  decrease  of  road 
fatalities.  This  can  be  attributed  to  more  efficient  road  safety  management,  increased 
enforcement, new motorways and treatment of high-risk sites, all of which are expected to be 
intensified in the coming years. Key gaps and challenges concern the securing and exploitation 
of  appropriate  road  safety  funds  and  the  efficiency  of  the  authorities  in  implementing  the 
various identified road safety actions and measures. 

2. Road Safety Strategy and Measures 

2.1.  Road Safety Strategic Plan 

The National Road Safety Strategic Plan for Greece covers the period 2021-2030. The lead 
authority for its implementation is the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport. 

It  concerns  the  definition,  implementation  and  monitoring  of  the  necessary  actions  to 
reduce the number of road casualties in the period 2021-2030. The main road safety issues have 
been identified and in order to achieve the Vision Zero in 2050, a set of quantitative targets for 
2030 has been defined. Furthermore, a detailed list of road safety actions and measures has 
been set. For all measures, the required budget and the timeframe for their implementation has 
been  identified.  Finally,  a  tool  for  monitoring  the  implementation  of  the  strategic  plan  is 
suggested. 

Table 12.1: National road safety strategic plan in Greece 

Timeframe 

Lead Authority 

Link 

Source: national sources 

2021-2030 

Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport 

https://www.nrso.ntua.gr/nrss2030/wp-
content/uploads/2022/10/NationalRoadSafetyStrategicPlan-eng.pdf  

3 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
2.2.  Road Safety Governance 

In Greece, the Governmental Road Safety Committee was established in 2021, comprising the 
Deputy  Ministers  of  Infrastructure &  Transport,  Citizen Protection, Education and Religion 
Affairs,  Digital  Governance,  and  the  Alternate  Ministers  of  Health  and  Interior.  The 
Governmental Road Safety Committee, supported by the Road Safety Executive Committee, 
is  responsible  for  the  formulation,  effective  coordination  and  implementation  of  the 
national road safety strategy.  

The Governmental Road Safety  Committee,  with  the support of the Road Safety  Executive 
Committee, is also tasked with monitoring the road safety developments in the country and 
coordinating all relevant stakeholders involved in road safety nationwide. According to a new 
law, a new National Road Safety Authority to be called ODYSEAS will be established, with 
increased competencies in terms of managing the various road safety funds and the monitoring 
of road safety policy implementation. 

2.3.  Main Safety Issues 

According to the Greek National Road Safety Strategic Plan1, the most critical factors (in order 
of importance) contributing to the occurrence and severity of road crashes in Greece include: 

•  driving at high speeds was the main cause for 41% car occupant fatalities in single-

vehicle crashes in Greece in 2021, compared to the EU average of 31% 

•  high exposure and high-risk behaviour of motorcyclists led to 36% of powered two-

wheeler (PTW) fatalities in Greece in 2021, whereas the EU average was 18% 

• 

low seatbelt and helmet use rates (2022) 
Seatbelt use 
Front seat: Greece 71.8%, EU 93.1% 
Rear seat: Greece 55.8%, EU 75.3% 

Helmet use 
PTW drivers: Greece 80.3%, EU 97.0% 
PTW passengers: Greece 65.5%, EU 94.4% 

•  mobile phone use while driving (2022) 

92.7%  of  drivers  in  Greece  do  not  use  hand-held  mobile  devices  while  driving, 
compared to 94.8% in the EU 

•  driving under the influence of alcohol (2022) 

12.5% of car drivers in Greece have driven at least once in the last 30 days over the 
legal limit, compared to 11.8% in the EU 

Additional road safety critical factors are also mentioned in the Greek National Road Safety 
Strategic Plan. 

1https://www.nrso.ntua.gr/nrss2030/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/NationalRoadSafetyStrategicPlan-eng.pdf 

4 

 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
2.4.  Road Safety Targets 

In alignment with the European road safety targets, the targets of halving the number of road 
fatalities and serious injuries in  2030  compared  to  2019 have been set.  Also, six  additional 
quantitative targets were set for the reduction of casualties in road crashes for the decade 2021-
2030. Intermediate targets for 2025 have also been set.  

Table 12.2: Targets for the reduction of road crash casualties 

Target 

Target (% reduction) 

2019 
(Baseline) 

2025 

2030 

2019 
(Baseline) 

2025 

2030 

688 

247 

9 

50 

124 

280 

482 

148 

40 

10 

74 

152 

344 

84 

49 

0 

50 

95 

688 

482*** 

344*** 

- 

- 

- 

- 

- 

30% 

40% 

- 

80% 

40% 

50% 

66% 

- 

100% 

60% 

51%** 

40%** 

35%** 

21st 
position 

16th 
position 

13th 
position 

1. Fatalities 

2. Killed Motorcyclists 

3. Cities with zero fatalities* 

4. Killed on motorways 

5. Killed on Greek islands  

6. Killed in single-vehicle crashes 

7. Road safety performance  

(fatality/population rate below 
EU average) 

8. Serious injuries 

652 

456 

326 

- 

30% 

50% 

Cities with population between 50,000 and 100,000 inhabitants 

* 
**  Percentage of killed persons in single vehicle crashes in total number of killed occupants (drivers and passengers) 
***  The estimation of the figures is based on population projections for Greece from the World Bank and the assumption that the same 
declining trend of road fatalities per population with that of the decade 2021-2030 remains for all EU countries, while Greece achieves 
the target of halving road fatalities in 2030  

Additional targets have been set for eight road safety Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), 
in order to better monitor road safety progress over this decade. Intermediate targets for 2025 
have been also set, while the baseline year is 2022. 

Table 12.3: Targets for improving road safety performance indicators 

Key Performance Indicators 

1. Speeding 

2. Seat-belt use 

3. Helmet use 

4. Driving under the influence of alcohol 

5. Mobile phone use 
6. Percentage of new passenger cars with 5 Euro NCAP 

stars 

7. Percentage of TEN-T network  

(≥3 stars i-RAP/EC) 

8. Emergency response time (minutes) 
* Estimation to be confirmed after the relevant Network-wide road safety assessment 
** Baseline year 2020 

5 

2022 
(Baseline) 

Target 2025  Target 2030 

29% 

71% 

79% 

1,2% 

7% 

89% 

50%* 

49** 

<20% 

>90% 

>90% 

0,8% 

<5% 

95% 

65% 

39 

<15% 

>95% 

>95% 

0,6% 

<2% 

>99% 

80% 

32 

 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
2.5.  Road Safety Measures 

In total, 44 Road Safety Actions and 200 Measures are foreseen in the road safety strategic 
plan, allocated to the 5 UN Road Safety Pillars, as presented below. 

Table 12.4: Road safety pillars and number of actions and measures 

Pillars 
Road Safety Management 

Road User Behaviour 

Road Infrastructure & Traffic 

Vehicle 

Post-crash Care 

Total 

3. Road Safety Progress  

3.1.  Road Safety Outcomes 

Actions 
9 

Measures 
40 

8 

13 

8 

6 

44 

40 

61 

31 

28 

200 

Based on data for 2024, Greece ranked 25th out of the 27 EU countries in terms of the lowest 
numbers of fatalities per million inhabitants. In fact, 64 road fatalities per million inhabitants 
were recorded in 2024, which is well above the EU average (45). However, it is noted that in 
2025 a significant decrease (21%) of the number of road fatalities is observed during the first 
10 months – due, in part, to increased enforcement of helmet use and not drinking-and-driving 
-  putting  Greece  back  on  track  for  achieving  the  EU  and  national  target  of  50%  fatalities 
reduction by 2030.  

Figure 12.1 Mortality rates by country, 2024 

Sources: CARE database on road crashes; population data from Eurostat (online data code demo_pjan). 

Compared to 2019, a 3% decrease in road fatalities was recorded in 2024. Between 2019 and 
2023,  the  number  of  serious  injuries  increased  by  1%.  Thus,  up  to  2024,  Greece  was  not 
progressing towards achieving the 2030 targets, as well as the interim target of 2025. In 2024, 
the  observed  number  of  fatalities  was  25%  higher  than  the  target  value  and  in  2023,  the 

6 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
observed number of serious injuries was 24% higher (126 serious injuries) than the target value 
for this year.  

Figure 12.2 Road fatalities and target 20302  

s
e
i
r
u
j
n
I

s
u
o
i
r
e
S

1.100
1.000
900
800
700
600
500
400
300
200
100
0

Figure 12.3 Serious road injuries and target 20303 

652

610 664

659

546

518

20142015201620172018201920202021202220232024

Serious Injuries

Target 2030

Concerning the remaining targets, in 2023, they have not been met. The numbers of fatalities 
in single vehicle crashes and on Greek islands are much higher than the targets set. 

2 It is noted that the global COVID-19 pandemic had an impact on the CARE data for 2020 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. 

7 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Table 12.5: Monitoring of road safety targets, 2023 

2019 
(Baseline) 

Target 
2023 

Observed 2023 

Difference 
to target 

Killed Motorcyclists 

247 

181 

Cities with zero fatalities* 

Killed on motorways 

Killed on Greek islands  

Killed in single-vehicle crashes 

9 

50 

124 

280 

Road safety performance  
(fatality/population rate below EU 
average) 

21st 
position 

* 

Cities with population between 50,000 and 100,000 inhabitants 

- 

23 

91 

195 

- 

218 

13 

33 

110 

264 

22nd 
position 

+37 

+4 

+10 

+19 

+69 

- 

Compared to the EU average, the distribution of fatalities in Greece shows a high proportion 
of powered two-wheelers fatalities  and  fatalities on urban roads3.  In fact,  38% of  killed 
people in road crashes were riding a motorcycle or a moped in 2023 and 52% of road fatalities 
were recorded on roads inside urban areas. 

An overview of the evolution of road fatalities and serious injuries for the years 2019 and 2023 
(year with the latest available detailed crash data) is provided below for specific types of roads, 
crashes and road users. A high increase in both killed and seriously injured car occupants 
was  recorded  in  2023  compared  to  2019  (21%  and  11%  respectively).  Also,  increases  in 
fatalities and serious injuries on roads outside urban areas were recorded.  

On the other hand, positive changes were noted with crashes inside urban areas and certain 
groups of VRUs. Specifically, the number of killed and seriously injured pedestrians declined 
considerably  between 2019 and 2023 (-30% and  -34% respectively). The number of cyclist 
fatalities also decreased sharply (-55%), together with a notable reduction in serious injuries (-
35%).  No  change  was  noted  for  PTW  rider  fatalities,  while  their  serious  injuries  slightly 
increased (+9%). 

3  European  Commission  (2023),  Country  Profile  Greece.  Road  Safety  Observatory.  Brussels,  European 
Commission, Directorate General for Transport. 

8 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Table 12.6: Evolution of road fatalities, 2019-2023 

Fatalities 

2019 

2023 

%  
in 2023 

% change 
2019-2023 

Total road fatalities 

Inside urban areas 

Outside urban areas 

Motorways 

Single vehicle crashes 

Multi vehicle crashes 

Car occupants 

PTW riders 

Cyclists 

Pedestrians 

688 

370 

268 

50 

280 

269 

202 

247 

22 

145 

646 

337 

276 

33 

264 

287 

245 

247 

10 

102 

- 

52% 

43% 

5% 

41% 

44% 

38% 

38% 

2% 

16% 

-6% 

-9% 

+3% 

-34% 

-6% 

+7% 

+21% 

0% 

-55% 

-30% 

Table 12.7: Evolution of serious injuries, 2019-2023 

Serious Injuries 

2019 

2023 

%  
in 2023 

% change 
2019-2023 

Total serious injuries 

Inside urban areas 

Outside urban areas 

Motorways 

Single vehicle crashes 

Multi vehicle crashes 

Car occupants 

PTW riders 

Cyclists 

Pedestrians 

652 

438 

184 

30 

223 

329 

175 

328 

17 

98 

659 

392 

240 

27 

271 

327 

194 

357 

11 

65 

- 

59% 

36% 

4% 

41% 

50% 

29% 

54% 

2% 

10% 

+1% 

-11% 

+30% 

-10% 

+22% 

-1% 

+11% 

+9% 

-35% 

-34% 

3.2.  Road Safety Performance Indicators 

The  use  rates  of  seatbelts  among  passenger  car  occupants  and  helmet  among  powered  two 
wheelers in Greece are considerably lower than the EU average. Also, based on a self-reported 
survey, drink-driving among Greek drivers is higher than the EU average. In addition, Greece 
is among the EU countries with the oldest passenger car fleet. 

9 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Table 12.8: Road Safety Performance Indicators, 2022 - 2025 
(Source: ERSO, Country Profiles, Trendline) 

Speeding4 
% of passenger cars travelling within speed limits a 

Motorways 
Rural Roads 
Urban Roads 

Seat belt & CRS use rates (%) a*,b 

Front 
Rear 
Child restraint systems (roadside observations) 
Child restraint systems (in-vehicle inspections) 

Helmet use rates (%) a 

PTW driver 
PTW passenger 
Cyclist 

DUI of Alcoholc 
(self-reported) 

Greece 

EU 

2022 

2025 

2022 

2025 

77.7 
84.4 
58.8 

71.8 
55.8 
- 
/ 

80.3 
65.5 
- 

92.0 
79.0 
73.0 

68.9 
56.3 
- 
/ 

85.7 
86.6 
- 

- 
- 
- 

93.1 
75.3 
67.0 
- 

97.0 
94.4 
37.8 

- 
- 
- 

92.4 
69.9 
83.3 
- 

97.6 
97.0 
34.5 

% of car drivers who have driven at least once in the 
last 30 days over the legal limit 

12.5 

- 

11.8 

11.8 

Driver Distraction a 

% of drivers not using hand-held mobile 
device/phone while driving 

Vehicle Safety 

92.7 

89.1 

94.8 

94.5 

% of new passenger cars rated with 4 EuroNCAP 
stars and above a 
Average age of passenger car fleet (years)d 

88.4 

17.3 

- 

17.5 

83.6 

12.3 

82.7 

12.5 

Sources: a Baseline and Trendline projects, b ETSC (2022), c ESRA3 project (2024), d ACEA (2024, 2025), Notes: 
*2025 data only for weekdays 

4. Monitoring Road Safety Strategy Implementation 

4.1.  Implementation Progress 

Road Safety Management 

Based on the self-reported assessment, the 2019 baseline was low for almost all areas related 
to the pillar of Road Safety Management. Greece starts from a medium level concerning road 
safety legislation, while little progress has been made concerning road safety authority, road 
safety budget and the development of a national road safety observatory until 2021.  

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.  

10 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Table 12.9: Self-reported assessment of implementation progress of measures related to road 
safety management 

B1 

Road Safety Management 

1 

2 

3 

4 

National road safety authority 

National road safety budget 

Road safety legislation 

National road safety observatory 

Baseline 
Assessment (2021) 

Progress 
(2021-2024) 

low 

low 

Medium 

Low 

on track 

low 

on track 

delayed 

During  the  period  2021-2025,  several  measures  related  to  the  road  safety  legislation  have 
progressed well, mainly with the preparation and the adoption of the new Road Traffic Code 
which was enacted on June 13, 2025; entitled “A New Framework for the Ratification of the 
Road  Traffic  Code  and  Other  Provisions  for  Safe  Mobility”.  The  new  higher  fines  system 
introduced  in  the  Road  Traffic  Code,  targets  the  most  serious  offences  with  emphasis  on 
recidivists, but most importantly is coupled with the massive deployment of a high number of 
cameras (gradually up to 4.000) for key violations (speeding, helmet, seatbelt, mobile use, red 
light), combined with the digital automation of fines management linking all databases of 
police, vehicles, drivers, technical inspection, insurance and national taxes, which are expected 
to make enforcement much more efficient and more systematic, starting from early 2026. 

The new Road Traffic Code contains also several traffic management provisions, including the 
nation-wide introduction of city-wide 30km/h speed limit in all urban streets of one or two 
directions with one lane per direction (from 1 January 2026) and new provisions relating to 
powered  two-wheelers,  such  as  allowing  filtering  under  certain  conditions  and  introducing 
advance stopping zones. 

The  implementation  progress  of  road  safety  measures,  such  as  the  National  Road  Safety 
Authority  and  the  National  Road  Safety  Observatory,  is  on  track.  More  precisely,  the 
Interministerial  Road  Safety  Executive  Committee  is  now  coordinating  more  closely  the 
competent Ministries and there are plans for the establishment of a new National Road Safety 
Authority  to  be  called  ODYSEAS  with  increased  competencies  in  terms  of  securing  and 
managing  the  various  road  safety  funds  and  the  monitoring  of  the  road  safety  policy 
implementation. 

The  National  Road  Safety  Observatory  will  be  managed  by  ODYSEAS  with  secured 
funding, aiming at the development of an effective road safety progress  monitoring system, 
which  will  include  digital  road  crash  maps  (already  openly  available),  incorporating  Key 
Performance Indicators (KPIs), a regular monitoring and reporting mechanism to continuously 
assess progress and a public access platform, allowing stakeholders and the general public to 
view road safety statistics transparently, thereby fostering accountability and engagement in 
road safety initiatives.  

Safe Road User Behaviour 

In relation to the pillar of Safe Road User Behaviour, Greece starts from a medium level in 
2021. 

11 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Table 12.10: Self-reported assessment of implementation progress of measures related to road 
user behaviour 

B2 

Safe Road User Behaviour 

1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

6 

Enforcement 

Education 

New drivers training 

Communication campaigns 

Measures for vulnerable road users 

Measures for professional drivers 

Baseline 
Assessment (2021) 

Progress 
(2021-2024) 

medium 

medium 

medium 

medium 

medium 

medium 

Delayed 

on track 

on track 

Delayed 

on track 

on track 

Maintaining the pace of the previous years, progress has been made in the implementation 
of  measures  in  almost all  key  areas,  while  the  implementation  of  measures  related  to  the 
communication campaigns have not reached the foreseen level. 

Enforcement  is  becoming  more  systematic  in  targeting  key  violations,  which  brought 
significant results in increasing helmet use and not driving under the influence of alcohol, and 
a respective significant decrease in the number of road fatalities and serious injuries. A budget 
for  the  supply  of  speed  (and  other  key  violations)  enforcement  cameras  is  foreseen  by  the 
Transport Programme 2021-2027 (NSRF), and is expected to be operational in early 2026. The 
core  element  of  this  initiative  is  the  creation  of  an  Integrated  National  System  for  Digital 
Recording  and  Management  of  Traffic  Controls  and  Fines.  For  the  implementation  of  this 
system,  a  Memorandum  of  Understanding  was  signed  in  2025  between  the  Ministry  of 
Infrastructure and Transport, the Ministry of Citizen Protection, and the Ministry of Digital 
Governance and the respective tender is under way. 

In parallel, concerning education, programmes for children in schools (mainly preschool and 
elementary  school)  have  been  established  and  are  implemented  locally  by  Traffic  or 
Municipality Police or NGOs.  

In the area of novice driver training, a series of significant reforms have been introduced. 
Most notably, an accompanied driving scheme for 17-year-olds was institutionalized in 2021. 
New training manuals for learner drivers were developed. Furthermore, a range of procedures 
related  to  driving  licences  —  including  initial  issuance,  renewal,  and  the  Driver  Behaviour 
Control System — have been digitalized. While provisions aimed at enhancing the examination 
system,  such  as  the  installation  of  surveillance  cameras,  have  been  adopted,  their 
implementation remains pending. 

Regarding measures for vulnerable road users, provisions for personal light electric vehicles 
(e-scooters, etc.) were added to the Road Traffic Code, including mandatory helmet use and 
minimum  age  requirements.  For  professional  drivers,  besides  the  EU  legislation,  there  is 
relatively  new  legislation  for  age  limitations  for  truck  and  bus  drivers.  Restrictions  on  the 
circulation  of  heavy  vehicles  have  been  enforced  on  specific  sections  of  motorways  and 
national roads during periods of heightened traffic volume, with the objective of improving 
road safety and ensuring smoother traffic flow. 

Regarding the communication campaigns, the development of the ten-year communication 

12 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
policy foreseen in the road safety strategy has been delayed. The campaign will leverage social 
media  and  digital  platforms  for  broad  outreach,  while  public  awareness  campaigns  will  be 
launched  to  educate  and  engage  citizens.  The  Ministry  will  monitor  and  evaluate  the 
campaign’s effectiveness, engaging with schools and communities to instill road safety habits 
from a young age. Additionally, the campaign will promote enforcement and policy support, 
with ongoing public engagement and feedback to ensure continuous improvement. 

Safe Speeds 

Regarding the Safe Speeds pillar, Greece starts from a medium level concerning the related 
campaigns and the monitoring of speeding, while less work has been made in the enforcement 
of speeds and the update of the speed limits until 2021. 

Table 12.11: Self-reported assessment of implementation progress of measures related to safe 
speeds 

B3 

Safe Speeds 

1 

2 

3 

4 

Update of speed limits 

Enforcing speed limits 

Campaigns on speeding 

Monitoring speeding 

Baseline 
Assessment (2021) 

Progress 
(2021-2024) 

low 

low 

medium 

medium 

on track 

delayed 

delayed 

delayed 

The implementation has been delayed for all road safety areas, except the update of speed 
limits. More specifically, the first priority measure concerning the update of speed limits was 
the reduction of the speed limit from 50km/h to 30km/h inside urban areas. This new limit is 
now included in the new Road Traffic Code to be in force from 1st January 2026.  In parallel, 
the extensive installation of speed cameras is under way.  

Measures related to the implementation of the ten-year communication policy foreseen in the 
Strategic Plan, which also includes dedicated campaigns on speeding, have been delayed.  

In addition, even though the monitoring of speeding, the systematic collection of speed data 
and  the  calculation  of  the  related  KPIs  is  foreseen  is  the  strategic  plan,  no  systematic  data 
collection is taking place.  

Safe Roads 

Regarding  the  Safe  Roads  pillar,  based  on  the  self-reported  assessment,  the  baseline  and 
implementation progress are mixed across different measures. Greece starts from a medium 
level in almost all areas in 2021. The road safety area of motorways safety management is the 
only one that starts from an advanced level, unlike the implementation of measures related to 
road safety audits and inspections. 

13 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Table 12.12: Self-reported assessment of implementation progress of measures related to safe 
roads 

B4 

Safe Roads 

1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

6 

City mobility & safety plans 

Urban infrastructure for VRUs 

Rural roads safety interventions 

Motorways safety management 

Road design standards 

Road safety audit and inspection 

Baseline 
Assessment (2021) 

Progress 
(2021-2024) 

Medium 

Medium 

Medium 

High 

Medium 

Low 

on track 

on track 

on track 

on track 

delayed 

delayed 

For city mobility and safety plans, the baseline is assessed as medium, and all measures are 
on track. According to the Law 4784/2021, cities creating Sustainable Urban Mobility Plans 
(SUMPs) must address nine transport objectives, including road safety. To date, 36 cities have 
received  ministerial  decisions,  with  two  additional  decisions  nearing  completion.  The  law 
mandates that road safety measures, such as safe cycling infrastructure, pedestrian walkways, 
road signage, public transport enhancements, and awareness campaigns, be incorporated into 
SUMPs. However, it does not  explicitly  require systematic road safety  audits as part of the 
SUMP process, meaning such audits are not a direct prerequisite. Increased financial resources 
would significantly accelerate progress in road safety initiatives. 

For  urban  infrastructure  for  vulnerable  road  users  (VRUs),  the  baseline  is  assessed  as 
medium, and all measures are on track. The Law 4784/2021 mandates cities with SUMPs to 
promote active mobility and safety for VRUs, such as widening sidewalks and adding bicycle 
paths.  

Concerning  the  safety  area  of  rural  road  safety  interventions,  the  baseline  is  assessed  as 
medium, and all measures are on track. The regions are implementing road safety programs in 
spotted high-risk sites, including constructing roundabouts in the primary rural road network.  

Also,  the  road  safety  area  of  road  design  standards  starts  from  a  medium  level,  but  the 
implementation of the measures has been delayed, as these standards have not been updated 
recently.  

On  the  other  hand,  Greece  starts  from  a  high  level  in  the  area  of  motorway  safety 
management,  and  all  related  measures  are  on  track,  with  motorway  concessionaires 
maintaining high-standard safety management systems. New long sections of motorways were 
delivered in 2025 and more are expected to be delivered by the end of 2025 and 2026 (and 
Creta 310km motorway to be ready in 2030), solving long standing road safety problems in 
key high-risk segments of the national roads network. 

Finally, for the area of road safety audits and inspections, the baseline is assessed as low, 
and the implementation of the measures has been delayed. Although certified auditors exist, 
systematic audits and inspections are rare. For the first time, a comprehensive network-wide 
road safety assessment was carried out - according to the provisions of the Directive 2019/1936 
-  ranking  and  spotting  the  road  sections  of  the  primary  national  road  network  requiring 
interventions as a priority. 

14 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Safe Vehicles 

In relation to the Safe Vehicles pillar, Greece starts from a medium level in the promotion of 
ADAS and technical vehicle inspections, while from a low level in terms of fleet renewal and 
preparation for automation.  

Table 12.13: Self-reported assessment of implementation progress of measures related to safe 
vehicles 

B5 

Safe Vehicles 

1 

2 

3 

4 

Fleet renewal 

Promotion of ADAS 

Technical vehicle inspection 

Automation preparation 

Baseline 
Assessment (2021) 

low 

medium 

medium 

low 

Progress 
(2021-2024) 

on track 

on track 

on track 

not started 

Concerning  the  implementation  of  measures  related  to  fleet  renewal,  they  have  progressed 
according  to  the  Strategic  Plan.  Financial  and  regulatory  incentives  for  the  renewal  of  the 
vehicle  fleet,  with  an  emphasis  on  electric  mobility,  have  already  been  introduced  by  the 
Department of Electromobility. The "Go Green" programme has been implemented in three 
districts. A total  of approximately €90 million  has  been disbursed,  covering  35,374 electric 
vehicles. At the same time, the number of charging points has increased from just 73 in 2019 
to  6,957.  Additionally,  the  Ministry  of  Infrastructure  and  Transport  has  developed  the 
"reCharge" app, allowing citizens to locate the nearest available charging points.  

The implementation of measures related to the promotion of Advanced Driver Assistance 
Systems (ADAS) is on track, following EU legislation relating to type-approval provisions.  

Vehicle  technical  inspection  also  has  progressed  well,  due  to  continuous  system 
improvements.  

In the area of preparation for automation, legislative and regulatory measures facilitating the 
operation of automated vehicles have been developed. These acts provide the necessary legal 
framework to  enable the safe testing  and deployment  of automated vehicle technologies  on 
public roads.  

Post Crash Care 

Regarding the Post-Crash Care pillar, Greece starts from a low level in 2021 in both key road 
safety areas.   

Table 12.14: Self-reported assessment of implementation progress of measures related to post 
crash care 

B6 

Post Crash Care 

1 

2 

Reduce EMS reaction time 

Support people injured 

Baseline 
Assessment (2021) 

low 

low 

Progress 
(2021-2024) 

delayed 

not started 

15 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
The  implementation  of  measures  related  to  the  reduction  of  emergency  medical  services’ 
reaction time has been delayed, with the reorganisation and the provision of new equipment 
of  emergency  vehicles  progressing  slowly.  For  supporting 
the 
implementation of the related measures has not started. This includes establishing a Committee 
for the Organisation of Trauma Management and enacting Law 4950/2022, which integrates 
the National Trauma System into the National Health System. 

injured  people, 

4.2.  Best Practices 

Three best practice examples are available for Greece:  

•  The significant improvement of the main road network of Greece. Traffic has partly 
been  shifted  from  unsafe  interurban  roads  to  new  motorways  with  2.159  km  of 
motorways being operational at the end of 2023, compared to 750 km in 2007, when 
the  upgrade  of  road  infrastructure  was  paused  due  to  the  economic  crisis.  This 
improvement has led to a significant reduction in the number of fatalities on interurban 
roads. 
In 2022, central barriers were installed on two main national roads in Greece (i.e. E.O. 
Patra-Pyrgos and Creta North Axis) aiming to separate the opposing directions of traffic 
and prevent overtaking. First results showed a significant reduction in fatalities on these 
roads. 

• 

•  The  systematic  enforcement  of  helmet  use  and  not  driving  under  the  influence  of 
alcohol,  which  took  place  during  2025,  and  which  has  contributed  to  a  significant 
decrease (21%) of the number of road fatalities. 

4.3.  Gaps 

As shown above, some measures foreseen to be implemented over the examined period (2021-
2025) have either been delayed or have not even started due to the following factors identified.  

Based  on  the  self-reported  assessment,  several  organisational  issues  are  reported  that 
undermine the timely and adequate implementation of road safety measures. More specifically, 
insufficient  organisation  of  the  authorities  responsible  for  the  implementation  of  specific 
actions and measures is observed. Also, there is some lack of coordination of the various key 
actors and authorities, which causes further delays in the implementation of some measures 
(for example, city mobility and urban plans, communication campaigns, and reduction of EMS 
reaction times).  

The  lack  of  coordination  between  the  various  authorities  has  also  had  a  negative  effect  on 
securing  and  exploiting  the  necessary  financial  resources  for  the  implementation  of  the 
strategic  plan.  Until  now  the  procedures  for  the  establishment  of  the  national  road  safety 
budget, which is foreseen to be used for the implementation of the strategic plan, faced delays, 
while the exploitation of existing funds such as the Transport Programme 2021-2027 (NSRF) 
has been delayed.  

Legislative  issues  and  the  lack  of  international  examples  and  guidelines  have  also  been 
identified as gaps for the preparation for vehicle automation in Greece. 

Finally, the lack of education and awareness has been reported as a significant gap (e.g. only 
sporadic and occasional  educational programmes  for adolescents  are carried out, significant 

16 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
percentage of road users such as e-scooter riders and cyclists are not aware of the Road Traffic 
Code provisions, etc.), which is mainly due to insufficient activity of the responsible actors. 

5. Conclusions and Recommendations 

In its road safety strategic plan for the decade 2021-2030, Greece set a target of halving the 
numbers of road fatalities and serious injuries by 2030 compared to 2019. The strategic 
plan includes six additional targets for the reduction of road fatalities and quantitative targets 
for 8 road safety performance indicators. In total, 200 road safety measures, allocated to five 
road safety pillars are included in the plan. 

In  2024,  Greece,  with  64  fatalities  per  million  inhabitants,  ranked  third  out  of  the  27  EU 
countries in terms of fatality rates per population. Compared to the EU average, Greece shows 
a high proportion of powered two-wheeler fatalities and fatalities on urban roads. Based on 
2019 and 2024 data, a decrease of 3% in  road  fatalities was recorded, while the number of 
serious injuries increased by 1% over the period 2019-2023. However, it is noted that in 2025 
a significant decrease (21%) of the number of road fatalities was observed during the first 10 
months  –  due,  in  part,  to  increased  enforcement  of  helmet  use  and  not  driving  under  the 
influence of alcohol - putting Greece on track for achieving the EU and national target of 50% 
fatalities reduction by 2030. 

Thus, in order to meet the 2030 targets of halving the numbers of fatalities and serious injuries 
Greece needs to persist in implementing the key road safety actions and measures already 
in  progress,  like  the  efficient  operation  of  the  new  Road  Safety  Authority,  the  extensive 
deployment of cameras and the new digital fines management system, which are expected to 
make enforcement much more efficient and systematic and the traffic much more safe. 

Regarding the implementation of the planned road safety actions in the national road safety 
plan  for  the  period  since  the  start  of  the  strategy,  despite  initial  preparation  delays,  it  is 
currently on track. Based on a self-reported assessment, work has started and is on track for 
many of the examined road safety areas. 

Finally, in Greece, a challenge is to increase the efficiency of the authorities in implementing 
the  planned  actions.  Consideration  could  be  given  to  carrying  out  an  analysis  of  the 
effectiveness of the actions and redefining the strategy in order to achieve the 2030 targets.   

17