COMMISSION STAFF WORKING DOCUMENT Monitoring Road Safety Progress in the EU - Austria 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: Austria, EU investment, 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) 33 final  COMMISSION STAFF WORKING DOCUMENT Monitoring Road Safety Progress in the EU - Austria 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) 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}  
 
 
Contents 

1. Summary .................................................................................................................... 2 

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

2.1 Road Safety Strategy............................................................................................ 3 

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

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

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

2.5 Road Safety Measures.......................................................................................... 5 

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

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

3.2 Road Safety Performance Indicators ................................................................... 8 

4. Monitoring Road Safety Strategy Implementation .................................................... 9 

4.1 Implementation Progress ..................................................................................... 9 

4.2 Best Practices ..................................................................................................... 12 

4.3 Gaps ................................................................................................................... 13 

5. Conclusions and Recommendations ........................................................................ 13 

1 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
1. Summary 

In  2024,  Austria  performed  better  than  the  EU  average  (45)  with  37  road  fatalities  per 
million inhabitants. Compared to 2019, a decrease of 16% in road fatalities was achieved. The 
number of seriously injured in road crashes, was 3% lower than the respective figure in 2019. 

Compared to the EU average, the distribution of fatalities in Austria showed a high proportion 
of fatalities on roads outside urban areas and for cyclist fatalities inside urban areas. The share 
of motorcycle fatalities of all traffic fatalities on rural roads in Austria is also one of the highest 
in the EU. 

In the Road Safety Strategy 2030 of Austria, targets of halving the numbers of road fatalities 
and serious injuries by 2030 compared to 2019 have been set, as well as a Vision Zero for 
child fatalities. The long-term goal for Austria is a “Vision Zero” for fatalities and serious 
injuries in road traffic by 2050. 

A total of 87 road safety measures, divided in seven fields of action, are included in the road 
safety strategy of Austria. These measures are proposed as potential solutions to the challenges 
identified  in  each  field  of  action  in  order  to  achieve  the  desired  targets,  as  outlined  in  the 
strategy. 

Regarding the progress of the implementation of the road safety actions foreseen in the national 
strategy  for  the  period  2021-2024,  there  is  a  smooth  implementation  flow  without  any 
particular gaps being  reported. Austria starts from a medium level in most examined road 
safety areas (13 out of 22). Based on the self-reported assessment, the baseline is assessed as 
high for 8 out of the 22 road safety areas and as low only in one.  

In 2024, the majority of the planned measures are on track, while the implementation of 
the measures in 3 areas has been completed. Only the implementation of the measures related 
to the national road safety observatory has been delayed.  

Examples of best practices are available for Austria, which cover various pillars. In relation 
to  road  safety  management,  the  Austrian  Road  Safety  Fund  is  highlighted.  Several  best 
practices  concern  the  safe  road  user  behaviour  pillar,  including  educational  programmes, 
campaigns  and  measures  for  cyclists.  Also,  stricter  enforcement  of  speeding,  dedicated 
campaigns against speeding and research projects for the monitoring of speeding are reported. 
Finally,  new  technical  guidelines  for  bicycle  traffic,  revision  of  technical  guidelines  for 
interventions on rural roads and of the manual for road safety inspections are among the best 
practices of the safe roads pillar.  

Based on the self-reported assessment, there are a few challenges in implementing the road 
safety strategy in Austria. Due to its federal system, road safety work in Austria falls under the 
responsibility  of  the  state,  federal  governments  and  municipalities  and  therefore,  a  lot  of 
coordination is needed for the implementation of individual measures. Thus, different budgets 
for road safety exist, however, there is not a comprehensive list. Austria also faces problems 
with speeding and for this reason an action plan against speeding with six main action lines 
and 20 measures has been developed. Accordingly, legislative changes in the Road Traffic Act 
include higher fines, higher disqualifications and the possibility to confiscate and dispose of 
the  vehicles  of  high  speeders.  Speeding  has  reduced  in  line  as  a  result,  but  continuous 
enforcement is necessary as well as awareness-raising actions.   

2 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
The implementation progress of the foreseen actions appears broadly well on track, however, 
based on the latest available data, Austria, in spite of some reasonable progress,  requires 
more actions to meet the 2030 targets of halving road fatalities and serious injuries. Based 
on the self-reported assessment, this is partly attributed to the fact that some of the measures to 
improve road safety  that are expected to  be more effective tend to  be quite unpopular. It  is 
difficult to reach agreement with all the relevant stakeholders on the implementation of these 
measures. The possible way could be by:  

•  better coordination among the relevant authorities and stakeholders, 
•  accelerating the implementation of the most effective measures 
•  exploring any other relevant activities. 

2. Road Safety Strategy and Measures 

2.1 Road Safety Strategy 

The Road Safety Strategy 2021-2030 of Austria was developed by the Federal Ministry for 
Climate Action, Environment, Energy, Mobility, Innovation and Technology (BMK) aiming 
to take essential steps to reduce serious crashes on Austria’s roads. The strategy covers all 
areas of road safety work, from human behaviour to vehicle technology and infrastructure. It 
is implemented in close cooperation with the national, regional, and local stakeholders and is 
in accordance with the EU policy framework and the WHO, which is entrusted by the UN with 
global road safety agendas1. 

In  accordance  with  the  Safe  System  approach,  the  Austrian  Road  Safety  Strategy  for  the 
period 2021–2030 aims at a paradigm shift from crash prevention to injury prevention. Also, 
the long-term goal for Austria is a “Vision Zero” for fatalities and serious injuries in road traffic 
by 2050. The strategy is accompanied by time-  and topic-specific action plans to  deal  with 
current trends in a more targeted manner. 

Table 1: National road safety strategy  

Timeframe 

Lead Authority 

Austria 
2021-2030 
Austrian Federal Ministry for Climate Action, Environment, Energy, Mobility, 
Innovation, and Technology (BMK), in cooperation with KFV (Austrian Road 
Safety Board) and FGM/AMOR (Austrian Mobility Research) 

Link 

https://www.bmk.gv.at/en/topics/transport/roads/safety/vss2030.html 

2.2 Road Safety Governance 

The  Federal  Ministry  for  Climate  Action,  Environment,  Energy,  Mobility,  Innovation  and 
Technology  (BMK),  other  Federal  Ministries,  representatives  from  regional  and  local 
authorities,  motorway  operator,  research  Centres  and  Universities  and  Road  Safety 
Organisations are responsible for the formulation of the national road safety strategy.  

Also, the Federal Ministry for Climate Action, Environment, Energy, Mobility, Innovation and 
Technology  (BMK)  and  Austrian  Road  Safety  Advisory  Council  (Roads  Task  Force)  are 

1 Federal Ministry for Climate Action, Environment, Energy, Mobility, Innovation and Technology. (2021). Road 
Safety Strategy 2030. Available at: https://www.bmk.gv.at/en/topics/transport/roads/safety/vss2030.html 

3 

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

2.3 Main Safety Issues 

Despite the good road safety progress over the previous decade, a number of challenges remain 
for Austria, as data of 2015-2019 show2: 

Pedestrians and Cyclists 

•  They account for 59% of all fatalities in urban areas. 
•  The majority of fatally injured (58% and 65% respectively) are aged 60 years or older, 

which is among the highest figures in the EU.  

•  Cyclists account for one quarter of serious injuries – an increasing trend. 
•  The presumed main causes of crashes at both zebra crossings and cyclist crossings 
are violation of the right of way, disregard for red lights and inattention / distraction. 

Motorcyclists 

•  They account for 20% of all fatalities and serious injuries, with less than 2% of the 

mileage.  

•  The share of motorcycle fatalities in all traffic fatalities on rural roads in Austria is 

one of the highest in the EU at 26%. 

•  About a quarter of motorcyclists in rural areas in Austria do not wear full protective 

clothing, and up to 80% in urban areas. 

Rural Roads 

•  Two thirds of all fatalities occurred on rural roads, with only 35% of the mileage.  
•  More than 80% of them were killed in cars or as motorcyclists. 

Speeding 
• 

In the road sections with the speed limit of 30 km/h, only 27% of passenger cars adhere 
to it. 

•  The  main  cause  for  crashes  on  rural  roads  is  excessive  speed,  which  often  leads  to 

single-vehicle crashes. 

Additional road safety critical factors are mentioned in the Austrian Road Safety Strategy. 

2.4 Road Safety Targets 

The following targets have been set at the National Road Safety Strategy 2021-2030 of Austria: 

•  By 2030, a 50% reduction in fatalities compared to the average of 2017 to 2019 

•  By 2030, a 50% reduction in serious injuries compared to the average 2017 to 2019 

•  Vision Zero: No children killed in road traffic by 2030 

2.5 Road Safety Measures 

A total of 87 road safety measures divided in seven fields of action are included in the road 

2 Federal Ministry for Climate Action, Environment, Energy, Mobility, Innovation and Technology. (2021). Road 
Safety Strategy 2030. Available at: https://www.bmk.gv.at/en/topics/transport/roads/safety/vss2030.html 

4 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
safety strategy of Austria3. These measures are proposed as potential solutions to the challenges 
identified  in  each  field  of  action  in  order  to  achieve  the  desired  targets,  as  outlined  in  the 
strategy. 

Table 2: Road safety fields of actions and number of measures 

Field of Action 

1.  Active, safe, and climate-friendly mobility 

2.  Safe rural roads 

3.  Motorcycle safety 

4.  Car Safety 

5.  Fit and with full attention on the road 

6.  Effective raising of awareness, education, and training 
7.  Effective  legislation,  control  activities,  administration,  and 

information processes 

Total 

Measures 

17 

12 

10 

10 

8 

12 

18 

87 

3. Road Safety Progress 

3.1 Road Safety Outcomes 
Based on data for 2024, Austria ranked 11th out of the 27 EU countries in terms of the lowest 
numbers of fatalities per million inhabitants. In fact, 38 road fatalities per million inhabitants 
were recorded that year, which is below the EU average (45).  

Figure 1. Mortality rates by country, 2024 

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

In 2024, the number of fatalities decreased by 16% compared to 20194. In addition, the number 

3 Federal Ministry for Climate Action, Environment, Energy, Mobility, Innovation and Technology. (2021). 
Road Safety Strategy 2030. Available at: https://www.bmk.gv.at/en/topics/transport/roads/safety/vss2030.html  
4 For all Member States, 2019 has been used as the baseline year for the monitoring of 2030 targets in this report, 

5 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
of serious injuries decreased by 3% over the period 2019-2023.  Thus, Austria needs to do more 
to meet the 2030 target of halving the number of road fatalities and serious injuries.  

Figure 2. Road fatalities and target 2030  
(Source CARE database) 5 

Figure 3. Serious road injuries  
(Source: CARE database)5  

Compared to the EU average, the distribution of fatalities in Austria showed a high proportion 
of fatalities occurred on roads outside urban areas and for cyclist fatalities inside urban areas6. 
In fact, 67% of fatalities occurred in rural areas in 2023. The share of cyclist fatalities was 10% 
and of serious injuries 30% in 2023. 

which is used at EU level. Austria has set the average of 2017-2019 as the baseline. 
5 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.  
6  European  Commission  (2023),  Country  Profile  Austria.  Road  Safety  Observatory.  Brussels,  European 
Commission, Directorate General for Transport. 

6 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
An overview of the evolution of road crash 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.  Overall,  in  Austria,  serious  injuries  declined  for  all  groups 
examined, except for cyclists and single-vehicle crashes. The decrease in seriously injured car 
occupants (18%) and pedestrians (16%) was considerably higher than the decrease in the total 
number of serious injuries (3%). 

The total number of road fatalities decreased by 3% in 2023 compared to 2019. The highest 
decrease was recorded for pedestrians (25%), followed by passenger car occupants (11%). On 
the other hand, the number of fatalities on motorways and in single vehicle crashes increased 
(by 34% and 22% respectively), as well as the number of killed cyclists (27%). 

Table 3: Evolution of road fatalities, 2019-2023 

Road Crash Fatalities 

2019 

2023 

%  
in 2023 

% change 
2019-2023 

Total road fatalities 

Inside urban areas 

Outside urban areas 

Motorways 

Single vehicle crashes 

Multi vehicle crashes 

Passenger cars 

PTWs 

Cycles 

Pedestrians 

Serious Injuries 

Total serious injuries 

Inside urban areas 

Outside urban areas 

Motorways 

Single vehicle crashes 

Multi vehicle crashes 

Passenger cars 

PTWs 

Cycles 

Pedestrians 

416 

104 

283 

29 

116 

234 

200 

89 

33 

69 

402 

95 

268 

39 

141 

210 

178 

92 

42 

52 

- 

24% 

67% 

10% 

35% 

52% 

44% 

23% 

10% 

13% 

-3% 

-9% 

-5% 

+34% 

+22% 

-10% 

-11% 

+3% 

+27% 

-25% 

Table 4: Evolution of serious injuries, 2019-2023 

%  
in 2023 
- 

% change 
2019-2023 
-3% 

52% 

44% 

4% 

44% 

46% 

24% 

27% 

30% 

9% 

-2% 

-4% 

-2% 

+9% 

-9% 

-18% 

-8% 

+9% 

-16% 

2019 

7,384 

3,795 

3,262 

327 

2,905 

3,632 

2,150 

2,086 

2,004 

787 

2023 

7,191 

3,738 

3,134 

319 

3,161 

3,307 

1,759 

1,921 

2,184 

662 

7 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
3.2 Road Safety Performance Indicators 

Austria performs better than the EU average in relation to seat belt use, child restraint systems 
(CRS) and helmet use. Additionally, the average age of the passenger car fleet in Austria is 
lower than the EU average. 

Table 5: Road Safety Performance Indicators, 2022 - 2025 (Source: ERSO, Country Profiles) 

Speeding7 
% 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) 

Austria 

EU 

2022 

2025 

2022 

2025 

80.9 
88.9 
57.4 

98.4 
87.9 
76.8 
/ 

99.9 
100.0 
35.5 

82.0 
90.0 
59.0 

99.0 
91.2 
99.2 
/ 

99.8 
99.9 
38.3 

- 
- 
- 

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 

- 

Driver Distraction a 

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

Vehicle Safety 

96.4 

97.1 

94.8 

94.5 

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

87.6 

8.9 

83.0 

9.3 

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 

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

8 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
4. Monitoring Road Safety Strategy Implementation 

4.1 Implementation Progress 

Road Safety Management 

Austria starts from a high level in two road safety areas related to Road Safety Management, 
the national road safety budget and road safety legislation. The baseline is self-assessed as low 
for the area of the national road safety observatory. The measures under this pillar concern two 
areas, the national road safety legislation and the road safety observatory. Measures in the first 
area are well on track, including  specific amendments to  the road traffic regulation.  On the 
other hand, the implementation of the measures in the second area has been delayed.  

Table  6:  Self-reported  assessment  of  implementation  progress  of  measures  related  to  road 
safety management 

B1 

Road Safety Management 

National road safety authority 

National road safety budget 

Road safety legislation 

1 

2 

3 

4 

Baseline 
Assessment (2021) 

- 

high 

high 

Progress 
(2021-2024) 

- 

not applicable 

on track 

National road safety observatory 

not applicable 

 not applicable 

Safe Road User Behaviour 

In relation to the pillar of Safe Road User Behaviour, Austria starts from a high level in 2021 
in the road safety areas of education, training of novice drivers and communication campaigns. 
It starts from a medium level in the areas of enforcement and vulnerable road users, while no 
measures  are  included  in  the  strategy  for  professional  drivers.  Based  on  the  self-reported 
assessment, in 2024, all measures are on track. 

Table 7: 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) 
medium 

Progress 
(2021-2024) 
on track 

high 

high 

high 

medium 

- 

on track 

on track 

on track 

on track 

- 

Enforcement measures include the 32nd amendment to the Austrian Vehicles Act, a stricter 

9 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
ban on the use of mobile phones and higher penalties for using a mobile phone without a hands-
free kit and disregarding the mandatory use of seat-belts.  

Also, during this period, numerous educational programmes and campaigns were carried out 
by public authorities and NGOs.  

Among the measures regarding the training of novice drivers are amendments to the Motor 
Vehicle Act implementing ordinance and reform of the training of driving instructors.  

In  addition,  multiple  measures  were  taken  to  strengthen  active  mobility  with  the  33rd 
amendment  of the Austrian Road Traffic Act  and thus,  to  improve the safety  of VRUs.  An 
action-plan for active, safe, and climate-friendly mobility is in progress. 

Safe Speeds 

Regarding the Safe Speeds pillar, Austria starts from a medium level in all related road safety 
areas.  The  implementation  of  the  measures  related  to  the  monitoring  of  speeding  has  been 
completed, while all remaining measures are on track.  

Table  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 

Baseline 
Assessment (2021) 

medium 

medium 

medium 

medium 

Progress 
(2021-2024) 

on track 

on track 

on track 

completed 

As part of the new speed limit regulations, municipalities will be able to implement simplified 
regulations for speed reduction in front of schools, kindergartens, etc. 

Additionally, harsher penalties (higher fines, driving license revocation, vehicle confiscation) 
are issued for excessive speeding,  and municipalities can now carry out radar speed checks by 
themselves. 

A campaign on speeding was launched in 2023. Also, as regards the monitoring of speeding, 
KPIs were collected and evaluated in the context of the "Baseline" and “Trendline” projects. 
Social acceptance of speeding is still high. Therefore, the measures in this point continue to be 
a priority. 

Safe Roads 

Regarding the Safe Roads pillar, the self-reported assessment shows a medium baseline in all 
road safety areas, with the exception of motorways safety management and road safety audits 
and inspections. The baseline for these two areas is assessed as high and the implementation 
of  the  related  measures  has  been  completed.  All  remaining  measures  are  well  on  track. 
Concerning  the  area  of  city  mobility  and  safety  plans,  no  measures  have  been  planned  at 

10 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
national level, but different measures exist at regional and local level. 
Table 9: Self-reported assessment of implementation progress of measures related to safe roads 

B4  Safe Roads 

1 

City mobility & safety plans 

2  Urban infrastructure for VRUs 

3 

Rural roads safety interventions 

4  Motorways safety management 

5 

6 

Road design standards 

Road safety audit and inspection 

Baseline 
Assessment (2021) 
medium 

Progress 
(2021-2024) 
not applicable 

medium 

medium 

high 

medium 

high 

on track 

on track 

completed 

on track 

completed 

The measures foreseen for this pillar include the revision of the technical guidelines on urban 
infrastructure for VRUs and the revision of the national technical guidelines on road design 
standards. Also, in regard to road safety audits and inspections, the Directives 2008/96/EC and 
2019/1936 have been transposed into Austrian law and national guidelines. Regarding the area 
of motorways safety management, specifications according to the Directives 2008/96/EC and 
2019/1936 have been implemented, while various national guidelines are in force. 

Safe Vehicles 

In relation to the pillar of Safe Vehicles, Austria starts from a medium level in all related areas, 
excluding the vehicle technical inspections, where the baseline is assessed as high. In 2024, all 
measures are well in progress. No measures are planned for this period regarding the area of 
fleet renewal. 

Table  10:  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) 

medium 

medium 

high 

medium 

Progress 
(2021-2024) 

not applicable 

on track 

on track 

on track 

Among  the  measures  related  to  the  promotion  of  ADAS,  the  promotion  of  truck  turning 
assistants and the development of a platform to demonstrate the usage of the most common 
ADAS-Systems in Austria are included.   

Also, the periodic technical inspection (PTI) is in force. All vehicle categories specified in 
the Directive 2014/45/EU are covered and the inspection interval is shorter than the minimum 
requirement. The EU minimum standards are also significantly exceeded for technical roadside 
inspections. 

Measures on the automation preparation include the ongoing development of complex use 
cases, especially in urban areas and the establishment of a mandatory route analysis and risk 
management. 

11 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Post Crash Care 

Regarding the Post-Crash Care pillar, no measures are included in the road safety strategy of 
Austria.  

Table  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 

Baseline 
Assessment (2021) 

Progress 
(2021-2024) 

- 

- 

- 

- 

4.2 Best Practices 

A series of best practices is available for Austria: 

Road Safety Management 

•  Austrian Road Safety Fund (VSF): The VSF is set up within the Federal Ministry for 
Climate  Protection,  Environment,  Energy,  Mobility,  Innovation  and  Technology 
(BMK). It receives its funds from the traffic safety contribution, which is payable when 
reserving  a  personalized  license  plate.  The  VSF  funds  the  promotion  of  general 
measures and specific projects to improve road safety, as well as the following activities 
in the field of road safety: studies and research, communication on research results, and 
preparatory planning measures. 

Safe Road User Behaviour 

•  Educational programmes: Educational material on road safety and safe behaviour is 
available on dedicated websites for students of all grades: Network Mobility Education 
and Kids Police. 

•  New  driver  training:  The  theoretical  driving  test  can  now  be  conducted  in  more 

languages. 

•  Embrace  life,  not  speed:  This  campaign  video  against  speeding  was  published  in 

Austria in June 2023.  

•  Measures  for  vulnerable  road  users:  Minimum  lateral  distance  when  overtaking 

cyclists and protective riding next to children on the bicycle.  

Safe Speeds 

•  Enforcing speed limits: The vehicle can be confiscated if the speed is 80 km/h over 
the speed limit in urban areas and 90 km/h over the speed limit outside urban areas. 
•  Embrace  life,  not  speed:  This  campaign  video  against  speeding  was  published  in 

Austria in June 2023.  

• 

Safe Roads: 

•  New technical guidelines for bicycle traffic: This RVS (published in April 2022) is 
to be used for the new construction and redesign of all public traffic areas approved for 
bicycle  traffic.  Redesign  implies  changes  to  the  alignment  or  modification  of  cross-
sectional elements on an existing road that is expected to have a significant impact on 

12 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
the  use  of  that  road  (e.g.,  in  terms  of  changed  travel  speeds,  traffic  volume  and 
composition, or performance). 

•  Rural Roads Safety Interventions: Revision of several technical guidelines; treatment 

of crash hotspots. 

•  Road  design  standards:  e.g.  revised  national  guideline  "RVS  03.03.31"  -  Cross-

section-elements and envelopes of clearance” in February 2024. 

•  Manual for Conducting Road Safety Inspections: In 2010, a manual for conducting 
Road Safety Inspections (RSI) was published by the Federal Ministry. This manual has 
now been revised, taking into account the legal changes as part of the implementation 
of the EU Directive 2008/96/EC and the experience gained from the RSIs carried out 
in recent years. 

Safe Vehicles 

•  Promotion of ADAS: An information platform on the Smart Driver app, associating 
the monthly insurance with the driving behaviour is available; subsidy for right-turn 
assistance systems for trucks. 

•  Automation preparation: Route analysis helps stakeholder to identify potential risks 

on a predefined area. 

4.3 Gaps 

Based on the self-reported assessment, there are a few challenges in implementing the road 
safety strategy in Austria. Due to its federal system, road safety work in Austria falls under the 
responsibility  of  the  state,  federal  governments  and  municipalities.  Therefore,  a  lot  of 
coordination  is  necessary  for  the  implementation  of  individual  measures  and  political 
interests must be taken into account. Also, some measures have a long lead time. 

As regards the national road safety budget, Austria has different budgets from the state, federal 
governments  and  municipalities.  However,  there  is  no  comprehensive  list  of  road  safety 
budgets. 

Also, concerning the update of speed limits, still there is no uniform approach of speed limit 
tolerances throughout the country, while problems with compliance with speed limits still exist. 
For this reason, an action plan on speeding￼ was developed with six main action lines with a 
total of 20 measures. Each measure specification contains a brief description of the problem 
and the  current  state of  knowledge,  an estimate  of the potential  reduction in  the number of 
serious injuries and fatalities, the associated options for action, the identification of key actors 
and the timeframe for implementation. For example: optimized speed monitoring, awareness 
raising,  speed  limits  in  line  with  road  infrastructure,  Road  Safety  Inspection  (RSI)  (off 
motorways), safety management for motorcycle roads.  

5. Conclusions and Recommendations 

In  the  road  safety  strategy  for  the  decade  2021-2030  of  Austria,  the  targets  of  halving  the 
numbers of fatalities and serious injuries by 2030 compared to the average of 2017 to 2019 
have been set. A total of 87 road safety measures divided in seven fields of action are included 
in the road safety strategy.  

In  2024,  Austria  was  below  the  EU  average  with  37  road  fatalities  per  million  inhabitants. 
Compared to the EU average, the distribution of fatalities in Austria shows a high proportion 

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of fatalities on roads outside urban areas and for cyclist fatalities inside urban areas. 

Based on data between 2019 and 2024, a decrease of 16% in road fatalities was recorded. 
The number of serious injuries also decreased by 3% over the period 2019-2023.  

Based on the detailed crash data between 2019 and 2023, road crash fatalities declined for all 
groups  examined,  except  for  cyclists,  single-vehicle  crashes  and  in  crashes  occurred  on 
motorways. Similarly, serious injuries decreased for all groups, except for cyclists and single 
vehicle crashes.  

Regarding the progress of the implementation of the road safety actions foreseen in the national 
road safety strategy for the period 2021-2024, based on the self-reported assessment, there is a 
smooth  implementation  flow.  The  majority  of  the  planned  measures  are  on  track  and  the 
implementation of the measures in three areas has been completed. Also, Austria has numerous 
examples of best practices to show. 

Finally,  despite the  fact  that the implementation  progress  of the foreseen actions is  well on 
track, and Austria has recorded a reduction in fatalities during the last years, more actions are 
needed involving public authorities at all levels, all road users, industry and civil society actors 
in order to meet the targets. Based on the self-reported assessment, this is partly attributed to 
the fact that some of the measures that are expected to improve road safety are quite unpopular 
and it is difficult to reach agreement with all the relevant stakeholders on the implementation 
of these measures. Possible ways to address this could be:  

•  better coordination among the relevant authorities and stakeholders, 
•  accelerating the implementation of the most effective measures or  
•  exploring any other relevant activities. 

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