COMMISSION STAFF WORKING DOCUMENT Monitoring Road Safety Progress in the EU - Estonia 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, Estonia, 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) 40 final  COMMISSION STAFF WORKING DOCUMENT Monitoring Road Safety Progress in the EU - Estonia 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) 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}  
 
 
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 Strategy...................................................................................... 3 

Road Safety Governance................................................................................ 3 

Main Safety Issues ......................................................................................... 3 

Road Safety Targets ....................................................................................... 4 

Road Safety Measures.................................................................................... 4 

Road Safety Progress ......................................................................................... 5 

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

Road Safety Performance Indicators ............................................................. 6 

Monitoring Road Safety Strategy Implementation ............................................ 7 

Implementation Progress ............................................................................... 7 

Best Practices ............................................................................................... 11 

Gaps ............................................................................................................. 11 

Conclusions and Recommendations ................................................................ 12 

1 

 
 
 
 
 
 
Estonia 

1. Summary 

In 2024, Estonia was above the EU average (45) with 50 road fatalities per million inhabitants. 
Compared to 2019, an increase of 33% was recorded although Estonia is a small country where 
the number of fatalities is subject to annual fluctuations.  

Compared to the EU average, the distribution of fatalities in Estonia showed a relatively high 
proportion of fatalities on roads outside urban areas. In fact, in 2024, 72% of road fatalities 
occurred outside urban areas, on non-motorway roads. It is noted that there are no motorways 
in Estonia. 

In the Road Safety Strategy 2016-2025 of Estonia, the targets of fewer than 40 fatalities and 
330 serious injuries in 2025 have been set. The target values concern the average number of 
the casualties for the period 2023-2025. Additional road safety targets have been set for specific 
road user groups: pedestrians, cyclists, drivers of motor vehicles and passengers. Intermediate 
targets for 2020 have also been set.  

The Road Safety Strategy includes 19 road safety measures divided in three pillars, related to 
road user, traffic environment and vehicle safety. 

Based  on  the  latest  available  preliminary  data,  Estonia  has  not  made  progress  towards 
achieving the 2025 target of halving road fatalities. For Estonia, data on serious injuries are 
not available in the CARE database, thus, no assessment of the progress is carried out.  

Regarding the progress of the implementation of the road safety actions foreseen in the national 
strategy for the period 2016-2024, there is a smooth implementation flow, with some delays 
reported mainly due to limited funding. Estonia starts from a medium level in most examined 
road safety areas (13 out of 28). Based on the self-reported assessment, the baseline is assessed 
as low in 11 road safety areas and as high in 4 areas. All measures are on track and only in 
three  areas  the  implementation  of  the  related  measures  has  either  not  started  or  has  been 
delayed. 

The main gap identified is related to lack of sufficient funding. This gap affects the road safety 
areas of drivers’ health, infrastructure interventions in urban areas and on rural roads, as well 
as the area of designing, building and reconstructing a sustainable and safe infrastructure and 
traffic supervision. 

Examples  of  best  practices  are  available  for  Estonia,  including  resources  on  traffic  safety 
education,  communication  campaigns  and  the  testing  of  a  new  innovative  measure  as  an 
alternative to speeding fines.  

The  implementation  progress  of  the  foreseen  actions  in  the  current  strategy  (2016-2025) 
appears broadly well on track, however, the increasing trend in the number of fatalities over 
the last two years (albeit in a small country where annual fluctuations occur) has meant that 
Estonia needs to do more to reach the 2025 target. The possible way forward to address this 
could be by:  

•  exploring  new  financial  resources  for  the  implementation  of  delayed  road  safety 

2 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
measures,  with  a  focus  on  road  infrastructure  interventions  both  inside  and  outside 
urban areas, 
reviewing the degree of implementation of the actions 

• 
•  exploring any other relevant activities 

2. Road Safety Strategy and Measures 

2.1.  Road Safety Strategy 

The Road Safety Programme of Estonia for the period 2016-2025 is part of the “Transport” 
performance area of the state budget strategy and was compiled on the basis of the 3rd sub-
objective “Decreasing traffic damages” of the “National Transport Development Plan 2014–
2020” and section 5 of the “National Road Traffic Safety Programme”. The Programme is a 
continuation  of  the  first  “Estonian  National  Traffic  Safety  Programme  for  2003–2015” 
(ENTSP). It takes into account how the objectives set for the previous period were achieved 
and experiences gained, and the experiences of other, more successful countries.  

Table 9.1: National road safety programme  

Timeframe 
Lead Authority 

Link 

Estonia 
2016-2025 
Multidiscipline working groups leaded by the Transport Administration 

https://transpordiamet.ee/media/618/download 

2.2.  Road Safety Governance 

The Ministry of Economic Affairs and Communications and the Governments are responsible 
for  setting  targets  and  Estonian  Transport  Administration  (ETA)  are  responsible  for  the 
formulation of the national road safety programme.  

ETA is responsible for the monitoring of road safety developments in the country. 

2.3.  Main Safety Issues 

Based on the progress achieved over the previous years, the following main safety issues have 
arisen for Estonia: 

•  No progress has been made in the number of car crashes involving pedestrians since 

2010. 

•  Also, no significant changes have occurred as of 2010 concerning the crashes involving 

motorcycles and mopeds. 

•  The  percentage  of  young  people  is  the  highest  among  drivers  involved  in  traffic 

crashes. 

•  The highest number of pedestrian and cyclist fatalities are among elderly people. The 

percentage of children is high among injured road users. 

3 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
•  The vast majority of fatalities (73%) occurred on national roads, which make up only 

28% of the Estonian road network. 

2.4.  Road Safety Targets 

The  following  targets  have  been  set  in  the  National  Road  Safety  Programme  2016-2025  of 
Estonia:  

Table 9.2: Road safety targets 

Nr of 

1. 

2. 

3. 

Fatalities 

Serious injuries 

Fatalities and serious injuries 

4.  Killed pedestrians 

5. 

Seriously injured pedestrians 

6.  Killed cyclists 

7. 

Seriously injured cyclists 

8.  Killed drivers of motor vehicles 
9. 

Seriously  injured  drivers  of  motor 
vehicles 

10.  Killed passengers 

11.  Seriously injured passengers 

2.5.  Road Safety Measures 

Baseline  
(avg 2012-2014) 
82 

Mid-level 2020 
(avg 2018-2020) 
50 

Target 2025 (avg 
2023-2025) 
40 

475 

557 

26 

133 

6 

42 

34 

177 

14 

123 

370 

420 

15 

110 

3 

35 

22 

132 

10 

93 

330 

370 

11 

98 

3 

30 

18 

118 

7 

84 

A total of 19 road safety measures divided in three pillars are included in the road safety 
strategy of Estonia1.  

Table 9.3: Road safety pillars and number of measures 

Pillar 

12.  Responsible road user who is aware of dangers 

13.  Safe traffic environment 

14.  Safe vehicle 

Total 

3. Road Safety Progress 

3.1.  Road Safety Outcomes 

Measures 

9 

7 

3 

19 

Based on data for 2024, Estonia was 18th out of the 27 EU countries in terms of the lowest 

1 Estonian Road Safety Programme: https://transpordiamet.ee/media/618/download  

4 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
numbers of fatalities per million inhabitants. In fact, 50 road fatalities per million inhabitants 
were recorded that year, which is above the EU average (45).  

Figure 9.1 Mortality rates by country, 2024  

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

Compared to the average values of 2012-2014, which is the baseline for the target set in the 
road safety programme, road fatalities have decreased. However, the downward trend in road 
fatalities has been reversed by 2023. Between 2019 and 2024, a 33% increase in road fatalities 
was recorded. It is noted that concerning the mid-level target of 2020, the average number of 
fatalities of the period 2018-2020 was 59, which was 9 fatalities higher than the target. 

Figure 9.2 Road fatalities and target 2030  
(Source CARE database) 

5 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Compared to the EU average, the distribution of fatalities in Estonia showed a relatively high 
proportion on roads outside urban areas2. In fact, in 2024, 72% of fatalities occurred outside 
urban areas, on non-motorway roads. There are no motorways in Estonia. 

An overview of the evolution of road fatalities for the years 2019 and 2024 (year with the latest 
available detailed crash data) is provided below for specific types of roads, crashes and road 
users. Overall, in Estonia, road fatalities increased.  

Table 9.4: Evolution of road fatalities, 2019-2023 

Fatalities 

2019 

2024 

%  
in 2024 

% change 
2019-2024 

Total road fatalities 

Inside urban areas 

Outside urban areas 

Motorways 

Single vehicle crashes 

Multi vehicle crashes 

Car occupants 

PTW riders 

Cyclists 

Pedestrians 

52 

17 

35 

- 

16 

26 

20 

4 

2 

11 

69 

19 

50 

- 

16 

42 

28 

8 

2 

11 

- 

28% 

72% 

- 

23% 

61% 

41% 

12% 

3% 

16% 

+33% 

+12% 

+43% 

- 

0% 

+62% 

+40% 

- 

- 

0% 

3.2.  Road Safety Performance Indicators 

The  use  rates  of  seat-belts  among  car  occupants  are  higher  in  Estonia  compared  to  the  EU 
average. Additionally, the average age of the passenger car fleet is higher than the EU average. 

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

6 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Table 9.5: Road Safety Performance Indicators, 2022 or latest available year (Source: ERSO, 
Country Profiles) 

Estonia 

EU 

Speeding3 
% of passenger cars travelling within speed limits a 

Motorways 
Rural Roads 
Urban Roads (50km/h) 

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) 

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

Driver Distraction a 

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

Vehicle Safety 

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

/ 
/ 
/ 

99.0 
87.0 
/ 
/ 

/ 
/ 
/ 

/ 

/ 

/ 

13.0 

- 
- 

93.1 
75.3 
67.0 
- 

97.0 
94.4 
37.8 

11.8 

94.8 

83.6 

12.5 

Sources: a Baseline project, b ETSC (2022), c ESRA3 project (2024), d ACEA (2025) 

4. Monitoring Road Safety Strategy Implementation 

4.1.  Implementation Progress 

Road Safety Management 

Estonia  starts  from  a  medium  level  in  two  road  safety  areas  related  to  Road  Safety 
Management: the national road safety authority and the road safety legislation. The baseline 
for the area of the national road safety budget is assessed as low. All foreseen measures are on 
track,  except  those  related  to  the  road  safety  budget.  In  Estonia,  there  is  no  special  budget 
dedicated to road safety measures. Additionally, there is no national road safety observatory. 

3 An EU average is not available for speeding, due to different legal speed limits among countries, which does not 
allow for a straightforward comparison.  

7 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Table 9.6: 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 

Safe Road User Behaviour 

Baseline 
Assessment (2016) 

medium 

low 

medium 

- 

Progress 
(2016-2024) 

on track 

not started 

on track 

not applicable 

In relation to the pillar of Safe Road User Behaviour, Estonia starts from a medium level in 
6 road safety areas. The baseline is assessed as high in the road safety areas of communication 
campaigns, vulnerable road users and drivers’ health, while it is assessed as low for the areas 
of traffic supervision and rehabilitation.  

In 2024, the majority of the measures of this pillar were on track. The implementation of the 
measures related to elderly users has been completed. It is noted that no measures related to 
professional drivers have been planned for the examined period in Estonia. 

Table 9.7: Self-reported assessment of implementation progress of measures related to road 
user behaviour 

Baseline 
Assessment (2016) 
medium 

Progress 
(2016-2024) 
on track 

B2 

Safe Road User Behaviour 

Enforcement 

Education 

New drivers training 

Communication campaigns 

Measures for vulnerable road users 

medium 

medium 

high 

high 

Measures for professional drivers 

not applicable 

Other: Elderly road users 

Other: Driver's Health 

Other: Prevention 

Other: Traffic Supervision 

Other: Rehabilitation 

medium 

high 

medium 

low 

low 

1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

6 

7 

8 

9 

10 

11 

on track 

on track 

on track 

on track 

not applicable 

completed 

delayed 

on track 

on track 

on track 

The number of traffic related violations and the time spent for road traffic enforcement is 
being monitored. Also, checks on drink-driving are carried out, and mobile speed cameras are 
introduced. 

Concerning education, the availability of modernized educational materials is ensured and the 
learning environment is developed. Trainings for teachers of kindergartens and schools that 
support traffic-related educational activities are conducted. 

Regarding the training of novice drivers, an analysis of motor vehicle driver education has 
been carried out and curricula have been updated.  

8 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Additionally, 4-5 media campaigns per year are carried out on main road safety topics, such 
as alcohol, speed, distraction, and micro-mobility. 

Among  the  measures  for  VRUs  are  advocating  the  use  of  reflectors  and  helmets  and  the 
importance of the technical  condition  of the bicycle, as well as developing cycling training 
materials, constructing additional cycle paths and bicycle lanes, and establishing 30km/h zones 
in urban areas.  

Other active measures related to this pillar are: advanced training for elderly drivers, improving 
the assessment of a motor vehicle driver's health condition, creating legal bases for conducting 
additional  health  checks,  developing  the  alcohol  addiction  treatment  system,  organizing 
campaigns to  adhere to  the speed limit,  tackling drink driving and other problematic traffic 
behaviours.  Also,  drivers  caught  driving  under  the  influence  are  referred  to  a  programme 
conducted by psychologists. 

Safe Speeds 

Regarding the Safe Speeds pillar, Estonia starts from a high level in the area of update of speed 
limits and from a medium level in the area of enforcement. All measures related to this pillar 
are on track. 

In particular, a methodology for determining driving speed has been prepared, and larger cities 
are reducing the speed limit in the city centre to 30 and 40 km/h. Regarding enforcement, on-
spot mobile speed cameras and police forces are placed. 

Table 9.8: 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 

Safe Roads 

Baseline 
Assessment (2016) 

Progress 
(2016-2024) 

high 

medium 

- 

- 

on track 

on track 

on track 

not applicable 

Regarding the Safe Roads pillar, the self-reported assessment shows a medium baseline in the 
majority of the related road safety areas. Estonia starts from a low level in the areas of road 
design standards, road safety audits and inspections, traffic management and at-grade railway 
crossings. All measures of this pillar are on track. 

9 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Table 9.9: Self-reported assessment of implementation progress of measures related to safe 
roads 

B4 

Safe Roads 

Baseline 
Assessment (2016) 

Progress 
(2016-2024) 

1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

6 

7 

8 

9 

City Mobility & Safety Plans 

Urban infrastructure for VRUs 

Rural roads safety interventions 

Motorways safety management 

Road design standards 

Road safety audit and inspection 

Other: Designing, building and reconstructing 
a sustainable and safe infrastructure 
Other: Road maintenance 

Other: Traffic management 

10 

Other: At-grade railway crossing 

medium 

medium 

medium 

- 

low 

low 

medium 

medium 

low 

low 

on track 

on track 

on track 

not applicable 

on track 

on track 

on track 

on track 

on track 

on track 

Among the measures for urban infrastructure are the construction of light traffic roads at 
dangerous sites, improvement of safety at road crossings, while among the interventions on 
rural  roads  are  installation  of  lighting  and  implementation  of  a  pedestrian-friendly  speed 
regime. Also, the road design standards are updated. 

Among the remaining  measures of this  pillar are design,  construction and reconstruction of 
sustainable and safe infrastructure, identifying and treatment  of dangerous sites, sustainable 
and  safe  traffic  management,  introduction  of  ITS  capabilities,  and  the  implementation  of 
additional safety measures at railway crossings. 

Safe Vehicles 

In relation to the pillar of Safe Vehicles, Estonia starts from a low level in all related areas. All 
measures are on track, while the implementation of measures related to fleet renewal has been 
delayed. 

Regarding the automation preparation, the eCall system and real-time notification systems for 
road users will be introduced. 

Also,  commercial  transport  and  the  movement  of  work-related  vehicles  are  given  more 
attention  than  before.  Activities  continue  in  the  area  of  compliance  with  the  requirements 
related  to  the  most  severe  violations  and  control  of  compliance  with  the  requirements  for 
trucking. 

10 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Table 9.10: Self-reported assessment of implementation progress of measures related to safe 
vehicles 

B5 

Safe Vehicles 

1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

Fleet renewal 

Promotion of ADAS 

Technical vehicle inspection 

Automation preparation 

Other: Safety of a work-related vehicle 

Post Crash Care 

Baseline 
Assessment (2016) 

low 

- 

low 

low 

low 

Progress 
(2016-2024) 

delayed 

not applicable 

on track 

on track 

on track 

No measures related to the Post-Crash Care pillar are available in the road safety programme 
of Estonia. 

Table 9.11: 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 

4.2.  Best Practices 

Baseline 
Assessment (2016) 

- 

- 

Progress 
(2016-2024) 

not applicable 

not applicable 

Examples of best practices are available for Estonia: 

Safe Road Use Behaviour 

•  Education: The Estonian website liikluskasvatus.ee offers a comprehensive resource 
on traffic safety education tailored for various age groups, including children, parents, 
and educators. It provides interactive materials like games, tests, and informative videos 
on  safe  pedestrian  and  cycling  practices,  responsible  vehicle  use,  and  general  road 
safety.  

•  Communication campaigns: The Transport Administration of the Republic of Estonia 
publishes prevention campaigns on its website. These campaigns address issues such 
as speeding, driving under the influence, pedestrian safety, and responsible behaviour 
on the roads.  

Safe Speeds 

•  The Time-out-station was tested on Estonian motorways in 2019. When a speeding 
was registered by the police, the driver was stopped. If they had no pre-existing traffic-
related offences, they were offered a choice: either to pay a fine or wait by the roadside 
and continue their trip after a certain time had passed. 

4.3.  Gaps 

Based  on  the  self-reported  assessment  of  the  implementation  progress  of  the  road  safety 
programme, the main gap identified is related to lack of sufficient funding. This gap affects 

11 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
the road safety areas of drivers’ health, infrastructure interventions in urban areas and on rural 
roads,  as  well  as  the  area  of  designing,  building  and  reconstructing  a  sustainable  and  safe 
infrastructure.  

Lack of funding is reported as a gap for the area of traffic supervision as well, since there is 
no budget for new traffic monitoring equipment. Also, in Estonia, there is no general consensus 
on the use of average speed cameras and the implementation of a demerit-point system is not 
yet under discussion due to lack of support. 

Also, there are negative reactions in society to the reduction of speed limits on undivided 
1+1  rural  roads  (80km/h)  and  inside  cities  (40  or  30km/h).  Safe  speeds  need  to  be  better 
advocated together with mobility and environmental benefits. 

Finally, there is not a systematic process concerning the conduct of road safety inspections, 
which also are not documented well.  

5. Conclusions and Recommendations 

In the road safety programme 2016-2025 of Estonia, the targets of fewer than 40 fatalities 
and 330 serious injuries in 2025 have been set. The target values concern the average number 
of  the  casualties  for  the  period  2023-2025.  Also,  additional  road  safety  targets  are  set  for 
specific road user groups: pedestrians, cyclists, drivers of motor vehicles and passengers. In 
total, 19 road safety measures divided in three pillars are included in the programme. 

In  2024,  Estonia,  with  50  fatalities  per  million  inhabitants,  ranked  18th  out  of  the  27  EU 
countries in terms of road mortality. Compared to the EU average, the distribution of fatalities 
in Estonia showed a relatively high proportion of fatalities occurred on roads outside urban 
areas. 

Based on data, between 2019 and 2024, an increase of 33% in road fatalities was recorded. 
This indicates that Estonia is unlikely to reach the 2025 target of halving the number of road 
fatalities  although  it  is  a  small  country  where  the  number  of  fatalities  is  subject  to  annual 
fluctuations.  

Regarding the implementation of the road safety actions foreseen in the national road safety 
programme, there appears to be a smooth implementation flow, with some delays reported 
mainly due to limited funding. Based on the self-reported assessment, all measures are on track 
and only in three areas the implementation of the related measures has either not started or has 
been delayed. 

Finally, the implementation progress of the foreseen actions in the current programme (2016-
2025) appears to  be broadly  well  on track. However, the increasing  trend in  the number of 
fatalities over the last two years means that Estonia needs to do more to reach its 2025 target 
(and subsequently the 50% target for 2030). Possible ways to address this could be:  

•  exploring  new  financial  resources  for  the  implementation  of  delayed  road  safety 
measures,  with  a  focus  on  road  infrastructure  interventions  both  inside  and  outside 
urban areas, 
reviewing the degree of implementation of the actions, 

• 
•  exploring any other relevant activities. 

12