With an average of 96 deaths per 1 million inhabitants, Romania had the highest road fatality rate in the European Union in 2019, according to preliminary figures published on June 11 by the European Commission (EC). 

An estimated 22,800 people died in a road crash last year in the EU. This means that there were almost 7,000 fewer fatalities than in 2010 (a decrease of 23%), the Commission said. Compared with 2018, the number fell by 2%. 

“With an average of 51 road deaths per 1 million inhabitants, Europe remains by far the safest region in the world when it comes to road safety,” the EC said in a press release. 

The EU member states with the best road safety scores are Sweden (22 deaths/million inhabitants) and Ireland (29/million). On the other hand, Romania (96/million), Bulgaria (89/million), and Poland (77/million) reported the highest fatality rates in 2019.

“The underlying trend remains downward. Eight Member States registered their lowest fatality numbers on record in 2019: Croatia, Finland France, Germany, Greece, Latvia, Luxembourg, and Sweden. However, progress has slowed in most countries. As a result, the EU target of halving the number of road deaths between 2010 and the end of 2020 will not be met. Although it is likely there will be significantly fewer road fatalities in 2020 following the measures taken to tackle coronavirus, this will not be enough to meet the target,” the European Commission explained. 

For the next decade, the EU has set in the EU road safety policy framework 2021-2030 a new 50% reduction target for deaths and, for the first time, also for serious injuries by 2030.

newsroom@romania-insider.com

(Photo source: Inquam Photos/Alexandru Busca)