18th Annual Road Safety Performance Index (PIN Report)
The EU has set a target to halve the number of road deaths by 2030, based on their level in 2019. Most European countries have similar national targets.
There were 20,418 deaths on EU roads in 2023, a collective decrease of 1% compared to 2022, falling far short of the 6.1% annual reduction needed to achieve the EU target of a 50% reduction by 2030.
18 of the 32 countries monitored by ETSC’s Road Safety Performance Index (PIN) Programme saw a decline in road deaths in 2023 compared to 2022. Malta led with a 38% reduction, followed by Luxembourg at 27%, Belgium at 11% and Hungary at 10%. Conversely, road deaths stagnated in two countries, and even increased in 12 countries, with Lithuania experiencing a significant increase of 33%, and Latvia’s deaths increasing by 26%.
Compared to 2019, the baseline year for the EU 2030 target, 19 countries showed a reduction in road deaths by 2023. Poland and Cyprus lead the ranking with a significant decrease of 35%. Belgium and Denmark follow with reductions of 25% and 22%, respectively. Road deaths in Malta remained stable with a 0% change. Conversely, an increase in road deaths was observed in 11 countries within the same period. Notably, Ireland experienced an increase of 32%, while Switzerland saw an increase of 26%. Collectively, the EU27 achieved a decrease of road deaths of 10% in 2023 relative to 2019. However, to align with the EU’s target for 2030, a reduction of at least 22% would have been necessary.
Between 2014 and 2023, the EU prevented 20,981 road deaths compared to the situation where each Member State had maintained the same number of fatalities as in 2013. However, it’s important to note that an additional 52,754 lives could have been saved if the annual reduction of 6.7% required to achieve the 50% reduction target within a decade had been consistently reached.
EU legislation on road safety
On 1 March 2023, the European Commission published proposals for three pieces of road safety legislation known as the ‘road safety package’: the revision of the EU driving licence directive, the revision of the cross-border enforcement (CBE) directive and a proposal for a new EU directive on driving disqualifications. In July of the same year, the Commission also published a proposal for the revision of the directive on the maximum weights and dimensions of road vehicles.
Proposal for a revision of the driving licence directive
Elements of the Commission’s original proposals were welcomed by ETSC including the proposed probationary period for novice drivers and the decision to allow drivers with alcohol abuse disorders to drive as part of an alcohol interlock rehabilitation programme.
ETSC remains concerned about the negative road safety impact of the Commission’s proposal to reduce the age for accompanied driving for category C licence holders (lorries) to 17 years. The same concerns apply to the European Parliament’s proposal to allow category D vehicles (buses and coaches) to be driven by 18-year-olds under certain circumstances.
Political negotiations will continue after the EU elections in June.
Proposal for a revision of the Cross Border Enforcement (CBE) Directive
The Commission’s proposal for a revision of the CBE directive aimed to further facilitate the enforcement of financial penalties against drivers who commit an offence in a different EU Member State to the one where the vehicle is registered.
ETSC welcomed the conclusion of negotiations on this proposal in April 2024. It must now be written into national law in EU Member States before coming into force.
Proposal for a new directive on the Union-wide effect of certain driving disqualifications
This proposal states that driver disqualification should apply, in the future, in all EU Member States, not just the country where the driving offences were committed.
The Council is yet to publish its common position. Once the Council has reached its position and following the European Parliament elections in June 2024, negotiations can take place between the institutions to reach a final deal.
Proposal for a revision of the directive on the maximum weights and dimensions of road vehicles
The Weights and Dimensions Directive 96/53/EC1 sets out maximum authorised weights and dimensions for heavy-duty vehicles such as lorries and buses. The latest proposals will normalise cross-border traffic of very long and heavy vehicles between Member States that authorise them.
ETSC has serious concerns about the impact of Longer and Heavier Vehicles on road safety. These vehicles have been allowed to circulate under strict conditions, as part of trials or special bilateral agreements, but all the impacts of wider adoption have not been fully assessed.
The Council is yet to publish its common position. Once the Council has reached its position and following the European Parliament elections in June 2024, negotiations can take place between the institutions to reach a final deal.
The 2024 ETSC PIN Award goes to…
Finland is the winner of the 2024 ETSC Road Safety Performance Index (PIN) Award for outstanding progress in road safety.