Skip to main content
European Commission logo
Mobility & Transport - Road Safety

Road Safety Facts & Figures

The Commission has adopted an ambitious Road Safety Programme which aims to cut road deaths in Europe between 2011 and 2020. The programme sets out a mix of initiatives, at European and national level, focussing on improving vehicle safety, the safety of infrastructure and road users' behaviour.

Road Safety is a major societal issue. In 2011, more than 30,000 people died on the roads of the European Union, i.e. the equivalent of a medium town.

For every death on Europe's roads there are an estimated 4 permanently disabling injuries such as damage to the brain or spinal cord, 8 serious injuries and 50 minor injuries.

Main Figures

Infographics

The Commission’s Road Safety Programme for the period 2011-2020 aims to cut road deaths in the EU by 50% between 2010 and 2020. The new framework for 2021-2030 sets out ambitious road safety plans to eliminate deaths and serious injuries on European roads by 2050. This includes a further 50% reduction target for deaths and the same target, for the first time, for serious injuries by 2030.