Europe launches new phase of EU Road Safety Exchange programme to accelerate life-saving reforms in cities and countries

Road safety performance across Europe still varies dramatically. In some EU countries, the risk of dying on the road is three times higher than in the safest Member States. A new phase of the EU Road Safety Exchange (EURSE III) aims to help close this gap by enabling authorities at national, regional and city level to learn from proven road safety solutions. 

The programme is implemented by ETSC on behalf of the European Commission and is launching this month with the support of the Cypriot Presidency of the Council of the EU. It aims to involve authorities from all EU Member States and will run until December 2027. 

While earlier phases focused largely on exchanges between national governments, the new programme places stronger emphasis on the role of cities and regions. Many of the decisions that shape road safety today – including speed limits on city streets, the design of junctions and crossings, and the management of micromobility – are taken by local authorities. 

EURSE III therefore expands the programme by involving cities and regional authorities and enabling them to learn directly from peers across Europe that are implementing similar measures. Study visits and exchanges will allow participants to see successful policies in practice, speak with the engineers, police officers, planners and policymakers responsible for implementing them, and explore how similar solutions could work in their own countries or cities.

Cities such as Helsinki, Munich, Gothenburg, Bilbao and Leiden have already expressed their willingness to share their experience with peers from across Europe. Each offers a different perspective on improving road safety in urban areas, from street redesign and speed management to safer cycling infrastructure and the management of new mobility services. 

Previous editions of the programme delivered tangible results. Participating countries strengthened automated enforcement systems, expanded safer infrastructure such as 2+1 roads, introduced 30 km/h urban speed policies and reinforced national road safety strategies. 

The new programme also addresses emerging risks. As technologies such as automated vehicles, digital enforcement and AI-driven mobility policies develop rapidly, authorities across Europe face new challenges in integrating innovation while keeping roads safe, particularly for pedestrians and cyclists.

Magda Kopczynska, Director General at the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Mobility and Transport, said:

“This new phase of the EU Road Safety Exchange is about turning knowledge into action. Across Europe, we already know what works to save lives on our roads. The challenge is to put these solutions in place faster and more widely. By bringing together national authorities, regions and cities, EURSE III will help accelerate reforms where they matter most and deliver real improvements for citizens.”

By strengthening cooperation between national governments, regions and cities, and by sharing practical experience across Europe, EURSE III aims to accelerate progress towards the EU’s goal of halving road deaths by 2030.