Reducing road deaths in the EU

Date: 14/9/2009

Source: worldhighways.com

The European Transport Safety Council (ETSC) which has analysed EU and national performance in road safety for 2008 has recently revealed its findings.  The number of deaths on EU roads has decreased by 8.5% year-on-year, the best year-on-year reduction since 2001.

The total number of road deaths across the 27 EU Member States was around 39,000. Although this is a drop of 15,400 from 2001, it still falls short of the EU target to halve the number of road deaths to 27,000 by 2010.

2008 did see an improved performance on 2007. All 10 Eastern European nations that most recently joined the EU achieved, for the first time, at least the same percentage drop in road deaths as those Member States that have been part of the EU for many years. Some of this success could be attributed to the recent economic downturn that resulted in reduced traffic on European roads and to the relatively high petrol prices earlier in the year. Estonia (‑33%), Lithuania (-33%), Slovenia (-27%) and Latvia (-25%) achieved the best reductions in 2008, but still have some of the highest road death rates in the EU. The UK, Sweden and the Netherlands remain among the safest European countries for road safety.

It is now becoming apparent that the EU27 will be unlikely to meet the 2010 target of halving the number of road deaths compared with 2001. ETSC is now urging the EU to come forward with a new Road Safety Action Programme for the next decade.

ITS Radar International will continue to monitor developments

Keywords: Policy, Safety