---
category: literaturenote
citekey: forumroadsafetyannualreport2023
title: Road Safety Annual Report 2023
authors: International Transport Forum
year: 2023
date: 2023-12-18 2023-12-18
doi: 10.1787/8654c572-en
url: "https://www.oecd.org/en/publications/road-safety-annual-report-2023_8654c572-en.html"
zotero_key: JEBXV66X
zotero_storage: 3Q9CYK8Y
collections: doktoritöö / HLO
folder: 001_artiklid/Road Safety Indicators
firstAuthor: International Transport Forum
status: converted
---
# **Road Safety** Annual Report 2023
# **Road Safety** Annual Report 2023
### **About this publication**
This work is published under the responsibility of the Secretary‑General of the International Transport Forum. The opinions expressed and arguments employed herein do not necessarily reflect the official views of International Transport Forum member countries. This document and any map included herein are without prejudice to the status of or sovereignty over any territory, to the delimitation of international frontiers and boundaries and to the name of any territory, city or area. The statistical data for Israel are supplied by and under the responsibility of the relevant Israeli authorities. The use of such data by the OECD is without prejudice to the status of the Golan Heights, East Jerusalem and Israeli settlements in the West Bank under the terms of international law. Data in this report have been provided by countries to the database of the International Traffic Safety Data and Analysis Group (IRTAD). Where data in this report has not been independently validated by IRTAD, this is indicated. Additional information on individual countries is provided online at www.itf-oecd.org/irtad.
Cite this work as: ITF (2023), *Road Safety Annual Report 2023*, OECD Publishing, Paris.
## **About the International Transport Forum**
The International Transport Forum (ITF) is an intergovernmental organisation with 66 member countries that organises global dialogue for better transport. It acts as a think tank for transport policy and hosts the Annual Summit of transport ministers. The ITF is the only global body that covers all transport modes. The ITF is administratively integrated with the OECD, yet politically autonomous.
#### **International Transport Forum**
2 rue André Pascal F‑75775 Paris Cedex 16 contact@itf-oecd.org www.itf-oecd.org
### **About IRTAD**
The International Traffic Safety Data and Analysis Group (IRTAD) is the permanent working group for road safety of the International Transport Forum. The IRTAD Group brings together road safety experts from national road administrations, road safety research institutes, international organisations, automobile associations, insurance companies, car manufacturers and others. With 80 members and observers from more than 40 countries, the IRTAD Group is a central force in promoting international co‑operation on road crash data and its analysis.
### **About the IRTAD Database**
The IRTAD Database includes road safety data, aggregated by country and year from 1970 onwards. It provides an empirical basis for international comparisons and more effective road safety policies.
The IRTAD Group validates data for quality before inclusion in the database. At present, the database includes validated data from 35 countries: Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Czechia, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Korea, Lithuania, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Serbia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the United States.
The data in this report are valid as of 3 December 2023. The data are provided in a common format based on definitions developed and agreed by the IRTAD Group. Selected data are available for free; full online access requires IRTAD membership. Access the database via the OECD statistics portal: https://stats.oecd.org/Index.aspx?DataSetCode=IRTAD\_CASUAL\_BY\_AGE.
| Table of contents | Introduction
Foreword | 8
8 |
|-------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|----------|
| | Preface | 9 |
| | Short‑term road safety trends
Preliminary 2023 data | 10
10 |
| | Mobility and road safety in 2022 | 12 |
| | Traffic volumes in 2022 | 12 |
| | Road deaths in 2022 | 14 |
| | Mortality rates and fatality risks in 2022 | 28 |
| | Longer-term road safety trends
Evolution in the number of
road deaths, 2012‑22 | 32
32 |
| | Road deaths by user group | 44 |
| | Road deaths by age group | 49 |
| | Road deaths by road type | 50 |
| | National road safety strategies | 51 |
| | References | 52 |
| | Data tables | 53 |
| | Annex. Road safety strategies and targets in IRTAD countries | 62 |
| | Acknowledgements | 72 |
| | IRTAD members and observers | 73 |
### **Figures**
16 Figure 1: Evolution in road deaths by user category, 2022 compared to average for 2017-19
21 Figure 2: Evolution in road deaths by age group, 2022 compared to average for 2017-19
22 Figure 3: Mortality rate by age group, 2022
26 Figure 4: Road deaths by road type, 2022
27 Figure 5: Evolution in road deaths by road type, 2022 compared to average for 2017-19
29 Figure 6: Road fatalities per 100 000 inhabitants, 2022
30 Figure 7: Road fatalities per 10 000 registered vehicles, 2022
31 Figure 8: Road fatalities per billion vehicle-kilometres, 2021
33 Figure 9: Aggregate evolution in the number of road deaths in IRTAD countries, 2012-2022
35 Figure 10: Percentage change in the number of road deaths, 2012-22
38 Figure 11: Road deaths compared to the linear trend since 2012 (excluding 2020 and 2021)
44 Figure 12: Evolution in road deaths by user category, 2022 compared to 2012
45 Figure 13: Percentage change in the number of passenger car occupants killed, 2012-22
46 Figure 14: Percentage change in the number of pedestrians killed, 2012-22
47 Figure 15: Percentage change in the number of cyclists killed, 2012-22
48 Figure 16: Percentage change in the number of PTW killed, 2012-22
49 Figure 17: Evolution in road deaths by age group, 2022 compared to 2012
50 Figure 18: Evolution in road deaths by road type, 2022 compared to 2012
### **Tables**
11 Table 1: Road deaths, first half of 2017‑2023 Provisional data
13 Table 2: Traffic volumes in 2017-22 (millions vehicle-kilometres)
15 Table 3: 2022 Road fatality data compared to the 2017-19 average
19 Table 4: Percentage share of e-bike users in cyclist fatalities
36 Table 5: Road fatality trends, 2012-22
54 Table 6: National speed limits on urban roads, rural roads and motorways, 2023 passenger vehicles (km/h)
56 Table 7: Maximum authorised blood alcohol content levels, 2023, by country
58 Table 8: Seat-belt laws and wearing rates in front and rear seats of passenger cars, 2022 or latest available year
60 Table 9: Helmet laws and wearing rates, 2022 or latest available year
63 Table A1: Road safety strategies in IRTAD countries
68 Table A2: Targets on road deaths and serious injuries in IRTAD countries
#### **Boxes**
13 Box 1 Mobility in France after the Covid‑19 pandemic
17 Box 2 Motorcycle use in Latin America and the Caribbean
28 Box 3 Measuring risk and comparing countries
### **Foreword**
I am pleased to present to you the 2023 ITF Annual Report on Road Safety. For over a decade, this report has been a trusted source of high‑quality traffic‑crash data. This report would not have been possible without the dedicated work of the International Traffic Safety Data and Analysis Group (IRTAD), the International Transport Forum's permanent working group on road safety.
The good news is that most of the 35 IRTAD countries analysed in this report recorded a reduction in road fatalities in 2022 compared to the 2017‑2019 average. That said, more must be done to reach the target of halving road deaths by 2030, which is enshrined in the 2020 UN General Assembly resolution A/RES/74/299 on "Improving Global Road Safety".
Following the ITF's Safe System approach can help countries reach that goal. ITF's IRTAD working group has actively advocated the Safe System approach in various reports and is currently working on transforming it into a tool for road safety assessment, counselling, and benchmarking Safe System implementations or indicators.
Better data collection and analysis are the essential first steps towards improved road safety, as the foundation for setting targets and monitoring road safety progress. This report offers a glance on the current road safety trends across IRTAD countries, highlighting challenges in front of us, from the emergence of new mobility trends to an ageing population. ITF's IRTAD working group is committed to helping policymakers in addressing these challenges and finding solutions to make our roads safer for everyone. This report offers a departing point of this discussion. I hope you will enjoy reading it.
**Young Tae KIM, Secretary-General of ITF**
### **Preface**
At its 2022 conference in Lyon, the International Traffic Safety Data and Analysis Group (IRTAD) adopted the Lyon Declaration. The declaration's 14 recommendations focus on improving the quality and comparability of road‑safety data to inform policies to achieve the ambitious target of halving the number of road deaths and serious injuries by 2030 (IRTAD, 2022a).
Figures for 2022 presented in this report, as well as the first 2023 figures, clearly show that the impact of the Covid‑19 pandemic on traffic, road crashes and deaths has abated. The bad news is that the number of road deaths between 2020‑21 and 2022 increased. The good news is that in many countries (among the 35 for which figures are presented here), the number of fatalities in 2022 continued to fall compared with 2019 and previous years. However, the ten‑year trends also show that this decrease is sometimes very small. Particular attention must therefore be paid to this issue when devising policies to reduce fatalities and serious injuries.
Two sub‑groups have been set up within IRTAD. The first will focus on data harmonisation and regional road safety observatories, as reliable data are not enough to make relevant comparisons between countries. The second group will focus on national road safety strategies, in co‑operation with the European Commission initiative to develop a tool for countries to monitor the implementation of national strategies. The first results of these two groups will be reported in 2024.
Data reviews have also been carried out by IRTAD members in Cameroon in 2023. Again, it is important to stress the value of these management reviews in enabling the countries concerned to support effective policies to improve their data collection.
Finally, there is cause for optimism in the adoption of low emission zones, traffic limited zones and the development of 30 km/h zones by many cities. Although the decision to introduce a 30 km/h zone is often taken for environmental reasons (low‑emission mobility zones), the impact in terms of improving road safety is obvious.
This shows that road safety is an integral part of mobility management policies and a contributor to sustainable territorial development. The ITF and IRTAD will continue to work for safe and sustainable mobility.
### **Dominique MIGNOT, Chair, IRTAD**
This section presents data on short‑term trends in road safety. It includes preliminary data for the year 2023 and mobility and road safety data for the year 2022.
### **Preliminary 2023 data**
Preliminary data for the first half of 2023 shows an improved situation compared to the beginning of 2022. The analysis is restricted to the 24 countries with available data.
In the first half of 2023, road deaths decreased in 17 countries and increased in only seven countries compared to 2022: Colombia, Denmark, Ireland, Japan, Lithuania, Portugal and Sweden. However, in these countries, apart from Colombia and Ireland, road deaths decreased if the first six months of 2023 are compared with the 2017‑19 average for the first half of the year (see Table 1).
In the first half of 2023, road deaths increased in the Netherlands (4.4%), Norway (8.5%) and the United States1 (11.9%) when compared to the average 2017‑19.
At the same time, 2023 data for 11 IRTAD members, including several with large populations, were unavailable at the time of writing. Including this data in future reports will influence the overall trend.
1 2022 and 2023 data for the United States are statistical projections.
Road deaths decreased by 2.8% in 2023 compared to 2022.
**Road deaths, first half of 2017‑2023** Provisional data
| Country | Average
2017‑19 | 2022 | 2023 | % change in
2023 compared
to av. 2017‑19 | % change in
2023 compared
to 2022 |
|---------------|--------------------|--------|--------|------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------|
| Austria | 189 | 191 | 179 | -5.3 | -6.3 |
| Colombia | 3 153 | 3 813 | 4 002 | 26.9 | 5.0 |
| Czechia | 265 | 252 | 241 | -9.1 | -4.4 |
| Denmark | 84 | 64 | 77 | -8.3 | 20.3 |
| Finland | 107 | 85 | 75 | -29.9 | -11.8 |
| France | 1 557 | 1 536 | 1 380 | -11.4 | -10.2 |
| Germany | 1 502 | 1 271 | 1 264 | -15.8 | -0.6 |
| Greece | 309 | 288 | 281 | -9.1 | -2.4 |
| Hungary | 267 | 233 | 213 | -20.2 | -8.6 |
| Iceland | 7 | 4 | 1 | -85.7 | -75.0 |
| Ireland | 72 | 77 | 84 | 16.7 | 9.1 |
| Italy | 1 544 | 1 419 | 1 384 | -10.4 | -2.5 |
| Japan | 1 869 | 1 422 | 1 441 | -22.9 | 1.3 |
| Lithuania | 80 | 49 | 73 | -8.8 | 49.0 |
| Luxembourg | 13 | 13 | 13 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Netherlands | 273 | 324 | 285 | 4.4 | -12.0 |
| New Zealand | 192 | 182 | 171 | -10.9 | -6.0 |
| Norway | 47 | 54 | 51 | 8.5 | -5.6 |
| Poland | 1 225 | 893 | 824 | -32.7 | -7.7 |
| Portugal | 299 | 280 | 286 | -4.3 | 2.1 |
| Serbia | 228 | 240 | 220 | -3.5 | -8.3 |
| Slovenia | 51 | 51 | 39 | -23.5 | -23.5 |
| Sweden | 117 | 95 | 110 | -6.0 | 15.8 |
| United States | 17 437 | 20 190 | 19 515 | 11.9 | -3.3 |
### **Mobility and road safety in 2022**
Data on mobility and road safety in 2022 relate to traffic volumes, road deaths, mortality rates and fatality risks.
### **Traffic volumes in 2022**
This report expresses the traffic volume in individual countries as the total distance travelled in vehicle‑kilometres (vkm).
In 2022, traffic volumes, measured in millions of vkm, increased compared to 2020 but were not yet back to the levels of 2017‑19, before the Covid‑19 pandemic (see Table 2). This was the case for all 15 countries which provided these data, except Canada, Czechia, Denmark, Hungary and Iceland, where traffic volumes in 2022 were back to pre‑Covid 19 levels.
2022 can no longer be considered an "abnormal" year. In some countries, traffic volumes did not recover to pre‑Covid 19 levels, but this was mainly due to a change in mobility behaviour.
In Denmark, for example, the Danish National Travel Survey data indicate that the reduction in travel by car is due to the increase in gasoline prices and a more widespread habit of working from home.
Also, in Germany, working from home could be an explanation for reduced traffic. Between 2017 and 2022, the percentage of employees teleworking some days of the week increased from 13% to 28%. In addition, new mobility routines have emerged in recent years. Walking has increased, while cycling remains stable. Cars and public transport are used less frequently but for longer distances. Box 1 presents the situation in France.
Traffic volumes in 2022 had not returned to pre‑Covid levels, reflecting changes in mobility behaviour.
### **Traffic volumes in 2017-22 (millions vehicle-kilometres)**
| Country | Average
2017-19 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | % change
in 2022
compared to
av. 2017-19 | % change
in 2022
compared to
2020 |
|---------------|--------------------|---------|---------|---------|---------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------|
| Australia | 256 626 | 242 880 | 244 787 | 240 011 | -6.5 | -1.2 |
| Canada | 398 337 | 378 046 | 409 029 | 410 000 | 2.9 | 8.5 |
| Czechia | 56 240 | 52 280 | 53 742 | 58 818 | 4.6 | 12.5 |
| Denmark | 54 540 | 51 527 | 53538 | 54913 | 0.7 | 6.6 |
| Finland | 50 349 | 48 543 | 48 305 | 47 695 | -5.3 | -1.7 |
| France | 641 000 | 531 911 | 577 044 | 629 380 | -1.8 | 18.3 |
| Germany | 751 900 | 681 749 | 690 000 | 721 000 | -4.1 | 5.8 |
| Great Britain | 539 298 | 427 914 | 478 874 | 521 093 | -3.4 | 21.8 |
| Hungary | 45 374 | 41 854 | 46 611 | 49 531 | 9.2 | 18.3 |
| Iceland | 3 981 | 3 800 | 3 942 | 4 010 | 0.7 | 5.5 |
| Netherlands | 135 057 | 117 853 | 123 105 | 131 510 | -2.6 | 11.6 |
| New Zealand | 47 482 | 45 905 | 46 550 | 47 251 | -0.5 | 2.9 |
| Norway | 45 836 | 43 406 | 44 968 | 45 404 | -0.9 | 4.6 |
| Slovenia | 21 903 | 17 612 | 19 449 | 20 508 | -6.4 | 16.4 |
| Sweden | 84 036 | 77 813 | 80 119 | 81 823 | -2.6 | 5.2 |
#### **Mobility in France after the Covid‑19 pandemic**
In France, there is no recent national survey on mobility behaviour. However, some data are available for major cities. Research lead by LVMT Laboratory (2022) shows that the pandemic increased the attractiveness of cycling and consolidated existing cyling practices due to the construction of new bike lanes. Telework reduced traffic volumes, especially for passenger cars and public transportation. The decrease is more pronounced on Fridays, Mondays and Wednesdays. The impact of telework on car use and average distance remains unclear. However, some studies show that telework is associated with more trips around home on teleworking days but does not necessarily reduce car use.
According to a survey carried out by Île de France Mobilité (2022), new mobility behaviours can be identified in the Île‑de‑France region. In 2022, for all modes of transport combined, Paris region residents made 10% fewer journeys than in 2018. Teleworking and videoconferencing have developed strongly, reducing the number of home‑to‑work journeys, as well as journeys for meetings or lunch breaks". In addition, while road traffic has generally returned to pre‑Covid levels, this is not the case for public transport use, which reached a plateau in 2022, with passenger numbers at between 80% and 85% of pre‑Covid levels. This is also confirmed by public transport operators.
Another research project has been launched, led by LVMT Laboratory (Dablanc et al., 2022a, 2022b), looking at accidental journeys made by delivery drivers on major platforms such as Ubereats and Deliveroo. The data are based on annual surveys conducted by the Logistics City Chair in Paris and a survey in Nantes in 2021, involving fieldwork with 600 delivery drivers. The results reveal a high crash rate reported by drivers themselves. Delivery personnel report 26‑29% of crashes on bicycles or scooters, depending on the year, half of which require a trip to the emergency room and 33% of which require medical attention.
### **Road deaths in 2022**
After the shock of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020 and 2021, when mobility was restricted everywhere and road deaths showed a general decrease, 2022 was a "normal" year. There were no particular restrictions on mobility in IRTAD countries.
To avoid biased results, this report compares road deaths in 2022 to the average for 2017‑19 for short‑term comparisons.
On average, for the 35 IRTAD countries with validated data, road deaths increased by 3.2% in 2022 compared to the average for 2017‑19.
However, the United States, the most populous country in the analysis, significantly impacts the result. When US data are not included, in 2022, road deaths decreased by 6.4% compared to the average for 2017‑19.
**Evolution by country**
The picture is quite varied when looking at the data for each country. Among the 35 IRTAD countries, 23 countries recorded a reduction in road deaths in 2022, compared to the average for 2017‑19. In 15 countries, the decline was greater than 10% (see Table 3).
The strongest decreases were in Lithuania (-34.4%), Poland (-33.9%), followed by Iceland (-30.8%), Korea (-27.5%), Japan (-22.9%), Finland (-17.5%), Denmark (-15.4%), Sweden (-14.7%), Czechia (-14.5%), Argentina (-14.4%), Slovenia (-14.1%), Hungary (-13.7%), Belgium (-12.8%), Germany (-12%) and Austria (-10.4%).
Five countries recorded an increase in road fatalities of more than 10% in 2022 compared to the average for 2017‑19: Luxembourg (28.6%), Colombia (22.2%), the United States (16%), the Netherlands (14.4%) and Switzerland (11.1%).
In the Netherlands, the number of road deaths in 2022 (745) was the highest in more than ten years, while in Switzerland the number of road deaths in 2022 was higher than in any year since 2015.
In the United States, even if there was an increase of 16% compared to the average for 2017‑19, the number of road deaths slightly decreased in 2022 when compared to 2021.
If the US data are excluded, overall deaths in IRTAD member countries fell by 6.4%.
Five countries recorded an increase of more than 10% in 2022.
### **2022 Road fatality data compared to the 2017-19 average**
| Country | 2022 road deaths | Data status | 2017-19 road deaths | % change | | | | |
|---------------------------------------|------------------|-------------|---------------------|----------|--|--|--|--|
| Countries with validated data | | | | | | | | |
| Argentina | 4 567 | provisional | 5 334 | -14.4 | | | | |
| Australia | 1 188 | provisional | 1 182 | 0.5 | | | | |
| Austria | 370 | final | 413 | -10.4 | | | | |
| Belgium | 540 | final | 619 | -12.8 | | | | |
| Canada | 1 934 | provisional | 1 852 | 4.4 | | | | |
| Chile | 2 137 | final | 1 951 | 9.5 | | | | |
| Colombia | 8 030 | final | 6 570 | 22.2 | | | | |
| Costa Rica | 786 | provisional | 820 | -4.1 | | | | |
| Czechia | 527 | final | 617 | -14.6 | | | | |
| Denmark | 154 | final | 182 | -15.4 | | | | |
| Finland | 189 | provisional | 229 | -17.5 | | | | |
| France | 3 267 | final | 3 313 | -1.4 | | | | |
| Germany | 2 788 | final | 3 167 | -12.0 | | | | |
| Greece | 641 | provisional | 706 | -9.2 | | | | |
| Hungary | 535 | final | 620 | -13.7 | | | | |
| Iceland | 9 | final | 13 | -30.8 | | | | |
| Ireland | 155 | provisional | 143 | 8.4 | | | | |
| Israel | 351 | final | 345 | 1.7 | | | | |
| Italy | 3 159 | final | 3 295 | -4.1 | | | | |
| Japan | 3 216 | final | 4 172 | -22.9 | | | | |
| Korea | 2 735 | final | 3 772 | -27.5 | | | | |
| Lithuania | 120 | final | 183 | -34.4 | | | | |
| Luxembourg | 36 | final | 28 | 28.6 | | | | |
| Netherlands | 745 | final | 651 | 14.4 | | | | |
| New Zealand | 375 | provisional | 369 | 1.6 | | | | |
| Norway | 116 | final | 107 | 8.4 | | | | |
| Poland | 1 896 | final | 2 867 | -33.9 | | | | |
| Portugal | 618 | final | 663 | -6.8 | | | | |
| Serbia | 553 | final | 554 | -0.2 | | | | |
| Slovenia | 85 | final | 99 | -14.1 | | | | |
| Spain | 1 746 | final | 1 797 | -2.8 | | | | |
| Sweden | 227 | final | 266 | -14.7 | | | | |
| Switzerland | 241 | final | 217 | 11.1 | | | | |
| United Kingdom | 1 766 | final | 1 834 | -3.7 | | | | |
| United States | 42 795 | provisional | 36 888 | 16.0 | | | | |
| Observers and accession countries (a) | | | | | | | | |
| Mexico | 15 979 | provisional | 15 371 | 4.0 | | | | |
| Morocco | 3 499 | final | 3 695 | -5.3 | | | | |
| Uruguay | 431 | final | 473 | -8.9 | | | | |
(a) Data as provided by the countries and not validated by IRTAD.
### **Short‑term evolution by user group**
When looking at data by road user group, data are available for 32 countries (see Figure 1). Australia, Greece, and the United States have not yet published detailed 2022 data.
For the countries analysed, road fatalities decreased in 2022 compared to the average 2017‑19 for all road user types except for powered two‑wheelers (PTWs), which increased by 6.7%. Pedestrian fatalities recorded the biggest decrease (‑17.7%), followed by passenger car occupants (-8%) and cyclists (-3.3%).
The increase in the number of PTW users was due mainly to the very sharp increase in Colombia (+41.1% in 2022 compared to the average for 2017‑19). When excluding Colombia, the number of PTW users killed decreased by 6.9% in 2022 compared to the average for 2017‑19.
The safety of PTW users is a growing issue in Colombia as in many Latin American countries. In 2022, over 800 000 new motorcycles were registered in the country, representing the highest number of registrations of new motorcycles over the last decade (see Box 2).
Road deaths decreased for all user groups in 2022, except for users of powered-two wheelers.
**Evolution in road deaths by user category, 2022 compared to average for 2017-19**
Note: Data include Argentina, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Czechia, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Korea, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Serbia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom.
### **Motorcycle use in Latin America and the Caribbean**
In Latin American and Caribbean countries, the number of motorcycle users killed exceeds the world average. According to the International Development Bank (IDB), In some countries, such as Colombia, the Dominican Republic and Uruguay, motorcycles represent more than half of road traffic (IDB, 2022). In these countries, motorcycles accounted for 73%, 56%, and 51% of the vehicle fleet, respectively (IDB, 2022).
Several factors contribute to the increased use of motorcycles in the region. First, in cities where the supply of public transport does not satisfy the demand, motorcycles are considered a valid alternative (Rodríguez et al., 2015). Other contributing factors include rising income levels, lower manufacturing costs, access to financing facilities, tax incentives, ease of maintenance and lower fuel consumption. Additionally, motorcycles provide agility in congested traffic conditions, which are common in large Latin American cities.
There is also a growing trend in using motorcycles as a means of work. The demand for courier, cab or delivery services aboard motorcycles offers lower fares and shorter travel times compared to other modes of transportation. People who use their motorcycles for work tend to have low education and income levels, which is a barrier to accessing employment with better working conditions. The commercial use of motorcycles should be formalised under adequate labour regulations, thus improving the quality‑of‑life standards for people who provide a service without decent conditions.
The IDB report provides a set of guidelines and best practices to enhance road safety for motorcycle users in the region that should be implemented across three key dimensions: 1) drivers and passengers, 2) motorcycle safety and 3) infrastructure and operation.
First, regarding the driver and passenger, the IDB recommends governments should establish
minimum age requirements for motorcycle operation, considering engine power and riding proficiency, and introduce mandatory training programmes for individuals applying for a motorcycle license, starting with a basic category, and progressively advancing based on years of experience. Furthermore, personal safety elements for both the driver and passenger must be enforced.
Second, concerning motorcycles, automatic braking systems (ABS) and appropriate day and night lights should be required and enforced. In addition, compulsory vehicle safety inspections and mandatory insurance coverage are essential to enhance safety.
Third, regarding infrastructure and operation, it is essential to implement speed management measures and the installation of side barriers adapted to accommodate motorcycles.
Source: Inter‑American Development Bank (2022).
While cyclist fatalities in 2022 decreased by 3.3% compared to the average for 2017‑19, there are growing concerns regarding the safety of e‑bikes. Their use is becoming more and more common in the IRTAD countries. This results in increased trips performed by e‑bikes and consequently increased share in the fatalities among cyclists, generating new safety challenges.
Data from the ten countries which reported these data for 2022 confirm this trend (see Table 4). In Israel and Switzerland, more than half of the cyclists killed in road crashes were using an e‑bike. The percentage was quite high also for Germany (44%), Denmark (39%) and Belgium (38%).
This trend is growing. For example, in Switzerland in 2017 only 19% of cyclists killed were riding e‑bikes. This phenomenon particularly affected older people, attracted by the possibility of continuing to do some physical exercise. For example, in Japan in 2022 60% of e‑bikers killed were over 75, while the equivalent figures were around 40% in Belgium and Germany.
Few countries record data concerning new micro‑mobility vehicles, such as e‑scooters. In the countries where these data are collected, there has been an increase in road fatalities in recent years, due mainly to the increasing use. For example, in France, the number of people killed while using these vehicles tripled between 2019 and 2022. However, they still represent a small share of total road fatalities.
Recently, some countries have made efforts to collect road crash data about new mobility modes. But the same cannot be said for exposure (I.e. how many kilometres cyclists and e‑scooter users travel). Only the Netherlands has national data on cycling, based on annual ad hoc surveys. In other countries, data can be obtained at the city level from self‑service bike or scooter operators.
However, even at the local level, there is little data available on user trips outside self‑service fleets. Initial work has been carried out using mobile phone data to measure trips using new mobility modes but at this stage, it has not been shared or validated. This is a major knowledge challenge for the coming years. The ITF Statistics Group has set up a task force on emerging mobility patterns data, including walking and cycling. IRTAD is a member of this group, which is due to report in 2024.
There are growing concerns about e-bikes.
**Percentage share of e-bike users in cyclist fatalities**
| Country | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 |
|-------------|------|------|------|------|------|------|
| Belgium | 28 | 23 | 27 | 35 | 47 | 38 |
| Denmark | | 21 | 30 | 30 | 12 | 39 |
| France | | | 8 | 9 | 11 | 18 |
| Germany | 18 | 20 | 27 | 33 | 35 | 44 |
| Israel | | | 47 | 81 | 52 | 55 |
| Italy | | | | | 6 | 10 |
| Japan | 7 | 9 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 15 |
| Netherlands | 28 | 25 | 32 | 32 | 39 | 34 |
| Portugal | 4 | 0 | | | | 26 |
| Slovenia | 25 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13 |
| Switzerland | 19 | 29 | 38 | 31 | 41 | 55 |
### **Short-term evolution by age group**
When looking at data by age group, data are available for 30 countries (see Figure 2). Australia, Canada, Costa Rica, Greece, and the United States do not yet have detailed 2022 data.
In 2022, road deaths decreased for all age groups compared to the 2017‑19 average. The biggest reductions were for the youngest generation. The decrease among children under 14 amounted to 12.9%, while for teenagers between 15 and 17 years old, the decrease was 16.4%.
In contrast with previous years, the senior population recorded an improvement in road safety. In 2022, road deaths decreased by 5.2% for the 65‑74 age group and 11.6% among people over 75. People aged between 21 and 24 derived fewer benefits from better road safety. Road deaths for this group decreased by only 1.7%.
Road deaths in 2022 decreased for all age groups.
**Evolution in road deaths by age group, 2022 compared to average for 2017-19**
Note: Data include Argentina, Austria, Belgium, Chile, Colombia, Czechia, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Korea, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Serbia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom.
Historically, the 18‑20 and 21‑24 age groups were the most at risk in traffic. In recent years, in many IRTAD countries, seniors aged 75 and over have become more and more at risk in traffic. In 2022, in almost two‑thirds of the countries with available data, the mortality rates of people aged 75 and over were higher than those of people aged 18‑20 or 21‑24 (see Figure 3).
The are several reasons for this shift. First of all, the population is ageing in most of the developed countries. At the same time, the population is more mobile than before since the average health conditions are better and new transport modes, such as e‑bikes, suit the elderly population.
Second, in the last few years, successful measures have been taken to improve the safety of young people. In addition, younger generations tend to drive less and later.
While fewer seniors are dying in road crashes, they remain the most‑at‑risk age group.
#### **Mortality rate by age group, 2022**
Age group Total
### **Short-term evolution by road type**
Data disaggregated by road type are available for 25 countries in 2022 (see Figure 4). Rural roads are the deadliest roads in almost all countries. In 17 countries, more than half of the road deaths occurred on rural roads. In Finland, Ireland and New Zealand, two‑thirds of road deaths occurred in this type of road. Only in Korea, the Netherlands, Japan, and Portugal are urban roads deadlier than other road types.
The reasons for the dangerousness of rural roads relate mainly to road infrastructure and inappropriate speed. Rural roads often lack physical separation of lanes, have numerous intersections and are sometimes poorly maintained. In addition, drivers tend to speed on rural roads, mainly because of a lack of enforcement.
Rural roads remain the deadliest road type.
### **Road deaths by road type, 2022**
In 2022, for the 25 countries with available data, road deaths decreased by 13.5% compared to the average 2017‑19 (see Figure 5). The biggest decrease was in the number of people killed on urban roads (‑15.5%), followed by rural roads (‑7.5%) and motorways (‑6.2%).
**Evolution in road deaths by road type, 2022 compared to average for 2017-19** 0% -2% -4% -6% -8% -10% -12% -14% -16% -18% Urban roads Rural roads Motorways All road types **-15.5% -7.5% -6.2% -13.5%**
Note: Data include Argentina, Austria, Belgium, Czechia, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Great Britain, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Korea, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Netherlands, New Zealand, Poland, Portugal, Serbia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland.
## **Mortality rates and fatality risks in 2022**
Three common indicators are used to measure road safety performance and compare safety levels across countries: 1) the number of road deaths per population, 2) the number of road deaths per motorised vehicle, and 3) the number of road deaths per distance travelled (see Box 3). This section explores the 2022 data for the first two indicators and the 2021 data for the latter.
In 2022, the mortality rate ranged from 2.1 to 15.5 fatalities per 100 000 inhabitants (see Figure 6). Norway recorded the lowest mortality rate, with 2.1 fatalities per 100 000 inhabitants. Norway also registered the lowest mortality rate from road crashes in 2021. A total of 22 IRTAD countries had a mortality rate between 3 and 9 in 2022. Four countries had a mortality rate higher than 10 fatalities per 100 000 inhabitants: Chile (10.8), the United States (12.8), Costa Rica (15.2), and Colombia (15.5).
Seven countries recorded per capita mortality rate below 3 in 2022.
### **Measuring risk and comparing countries**
Three common indicators measure road safety performance and compare safety levels across countries. Each has pros and cons; in all cases, interpret country comparisons with great care, especially between countries with different levels of motorisation.
First, the number of **fatalities per head of population** measures the mortality rate. The number of inhabitants (per 100 000 or million) is the most often‑used denominator as this figure is readily available in most countries. This rate expresses the average citizen's overall risk of being killed in traffic. It is comparable to other causes of death (e.g. coronary diseases or HIV/AIDS). It is also useful when comparing risk in countries with similar levels of motorisation. It is not very
meaningful to compare safety levels between highly motorised countries and countries where the level of motorisation is low.
Second, the number of **fatalities per number of registered motorised vehicles** is an alternative to measuring fatalities per distance travelled, although it does not consider actual traffic volume. It is only useful for comparing the safety performance of countries with similar traffic and vehicle‑use characteristics. It also requires reliable statistics on the number of vehicles. In some countries, scrapped vehicles are not systematically removed from registration databases, undermining the accuracy of this indicator. Equally, this indicator does not consider non‑motorised vehicles (e.g. bicycles), which represent a large part of the
vehicle fleet (and fatality figures) in some countries. This indicator is usually expressed as the number of fatalities per 10 000 registered motorised vehicles.
Third, the number of **fatalities per distance travelled** by motorised vehicles measures fatality risk. This indicator describes the safety quality of road traffic. Theoretically, it is the best indicator to assess the level of risk of the road network. However, it does not take into account non‑motorised vehicles (e.g. bicycles). In some countries, non‑motorised vehicles represent a large part of the vehicle fleet and of road fatalities. Furthermore, only a limited number of countries collect data on distance travelled. Fatality risk is usually expressed in road deaths per billion vehicle‑kilometres.
Other six countries recorded less than 3 fatalities from road crashes per 100 000 inhabitants in 2022: Sweden (2.2), Iceland (2.4), Japan, Denmark, and the United Kingdom (2.6), and Switzerland (2.8).
In the case of Switzerland, while it recorded an increase in road fatalities of 11.1% in 2022 compared to the average 2017‑19, the country nevertheless registered a relatively low mortality rate. It is also worth noting that the number of road deaths in 2019 in Switzerland was extremely low.
Note: (a) Real data (actual numbers instead of reported numbers by the police).
Fatality rates, measured against the number of motorised vehicles, ranged from 0.2 to 4.5 deaths per 10 000 motorised vehicles (see Figure 7) in 2022. Ten countries registered a mortality rate of less than 0.5: Iceland, Norway, Sweden, Japan, Switzerland, Finland, United Kingdom, Denmark, Spain, and Germany.
The fatality risk was highest in Chile and Colombia, with a rate of 3.5 and 4.5 fatalities per 10 000 motorised vehicles, respectively.
**Road fatalities per 10 000 registered vehicles, 2022**
Ten countries recorded a mortality rate per registered vehicle below 0.5.
> New Zealand Hungary (b) Argentina
Australia Netherlands (a) Lithuania Czech Republic Luxembourg Belgium (b) Greece (b) Canada Portugal (b) Israel
Note: (a) Real data (actual numbers instead of reported numbers by the police). (b) Mopeds are not included in the registered vehicles.
Iceland Norway Sweden Japan Switzerland Finland United Kingdom Denmark (b) Spain Germany (b) Austria Slovenia Ireland Poland
Colombia
The fatality risk calculated by distance travelled is available for 22 countries in 2021 (but only 11 countries available in 2022). In 2021, the fatality risk ranged from 1.8 to 9.9 fatalities per billion vkm (see Figure 9).
Four countries reported less than 3 deaths per billion vkm: Norway (1.8), Iceland (2.3), Denmark (2.4), and Sweden (2.6). Three countries registered more than 8 deaths per billion vkm: Korea (8.2), the United States (8.5) and Czechia (9.9).
Four countries recorded a mortality rate per distance travelled below 3.
### **Road fatalities per billion vehicle-kilometres, 2021**
Note: (a) Real data (actual numbers instead of reported numbers by the police). (b) Data only for Great Britain.
This section discusses the longer‑term evolution of specific road safety indicators for the period 2012‑22. This section discusses two broad sets of data: data on the total number of road deaths; and data on road deaths disaggregated by user group, age group and road type. The IRTAD database also covers serious injuries; details are provided in the accompanying country profiles.
## **Evolution in the number of road deaths, 2012‑22**
Between 2012 and 2022, road deaths increased by 1.5% in the 35 countries with validated data.
When the United States's data are not included, road deaths decreased by 14.4%. This decrease needs to be accelerated to meet the target under the second Decade of Action for Road Safety 2021‑30 (WHO, 2021).
Figure 9 shows the evolution in the number of road deaths between 2012 and 2022, with and without US data.
In 2021, road deaths increased compared to 2020 but stayed below the pre‑Covid 19 level. In 2022, the total number of road deaths increased a further but stayed below the pre‑Covid 19 level.
If US data are excluded, overall road deaths in IRTAD countries fell by 14%.
#### **Aggregate evolution in the number of road deaths in IRTAD countries, 2012-2022**
### **Number of road deaths (excluding the US)**
Between 2012 and 2022, road deaths decreased in 27 of the 35 IRTAD countries (see Figure 10 and Table 5). Fatalities decreased the most in Lithuania (‑60.1%), Korea (‑49.2%) and Poland (‑46.9%). Five other countries recorded a reduction of more than 30% in 2022 compared to 2012: Japan (‑38.9%), Greece (‑35.1%), Belgium (‑34.7%), Slovenia (‑34.6%), and Austria (‑30.3%).
Road deaths increased in 8 IRTAD countries and by more than 20% in five countries: Colombia (50.9%), the United States (26.7%), New Zealand (21.8%), Israel (21%) and Costa Rica (20%).
Lithuania, Korea and Poland have achieved large drops in road fatalities since 2012.
Note: (a) Real data (actual numbers instead of reported numbers by the police).
#### **Road fatality trends, 2012-22**
| Country | | | | | | | |
|---------------------------------------|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|
| | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 |
| Countries with validated data | | | | | | | |
| Argentina | 5 074 | 5 209 | 5 279 | | 5 550 | 5 611 | 5 493 |
| Australia | 1 299 | 1 185 | 1 151 | 1 205 | 1 295 | 1 223 | 1 135 |
| Austria | 531 | 455 | 430 | 479 | 432 | 414 | 409 |
| Belgium | 827 | 764 | 745 | 762 | 670 | 609 | 604 |
| Canada | 2 075 | 1 951 | 1 841 | 1 887 | 1 900 | 1 861 | 1 939 |
| Chile | 1 979 | 2 103 | 2 116 | 2 136 | 2 178 | 1 925 | 1 955 |
| Colombia | 5 320 | 5 757 | 6 118 | 6 406 | 6 936 | 6 505 | 6 629 |
| Costa Rica | 655 | 625 | 662 | | | 862 | 811 |
| Czechia | 742 | 654 | 688 | 734 | 611 | 577 | 658 |
| Denmark | 167 | 191 | 182 | 178 | 211 | 175 | 171 |
| Finland | 255 | 258 | 229 | 270 | 258 | 238 | 239 |
| France | 3 653 | 3 268 | 3 384 | 3 461 | 3 477 | 3 448 | 3 248 |
| Germany | 3 600 | 3 339 | 3 377 | 3 459 | 3 206 | 3 180 | 3 275 |
| Greece | 988 | 879 | 795 | 793 | 824 | 731 | 700 |
| Hungary | 605 | 591 | 626 | 644 | 607 | 625 | 633 |
| Iceland | 9 | 15 | 4 | 16 | 18 | 16 | 18 |
| Ireland | 163 | 188 | 192 | 162 | 182 | 154 | 134 |
| Israel | 290 | 309 | 319 | 356 | 377 | 364 | 316 |
| Italy | 3 753 | 3 401 | 3 381 | 3 428 | 3 283 | 3 378 | 3 334 |
| Japan | 5 261 | 5 165 | 4 838 | 4 885 | 4 698 | 4 431 | 4 166 |
| Korea | 5 392 | 5 092 | 4 762 | 4 621 | 4 292 | 4 185 | 3 781 |
| Lithuania | 301 | 258 | 267 | 239 | 188 | 191 | 173 |
| Luxembourg | 34 | 45 | 35 | 36 | 32 | 25 | 36 |
| Netherlands (b) | 650 | 570 | 570 | 621 | 629 | 613 | 678 |
| New Zealand | 308 | 252 | 292 | 317 | 326 | 377 | 379 |
| Norway | 145 | 187 | 147 | 117 | 135 | 106 | 108 |
| | | | | | | | |
| Poland | 3 571 | 3 357 | 3 202 | 2 938 | 3 026 | 2 831 | 2 862 |
| Portugal | 718 | 637 | 638 | 593 | 563 | 602 | 700 |
| Serbia | 688 | 650 | 536 | 599 | 607 | 579 | 548 |
| Slovenia | 130 | 125 | 108 | 120 | 130 | 104 | 91 |
| Spain | 1 903 | 1 680 | 1 688 | 1 689 | 1 810 | 1 830 | 1 806 |
| Sweden | 285 | 260 | 270 | 259 | 270 | 252 | 324 |
| Switzerland | 339 | 269 | 243 | 253 | 216 | 230 | 233 |
| United Kingdom | 1 802 | 1 770 | 1 854 | 1 804 | 1 860 | 1 856 | 1 839 |
| United States | 33 782 | 32 893 | 32 744 | 35 484 | 37 806 | 37 473 | 36 835 |
| Observers and accession countries (a) | | | | | | | |
| Mexico | 17 102 | 15 853 | 15 886 | 16 039 | 16 185 | 15 866 | 15 574 |
| Morocco | 4 167 | 3 832 | 3 489 | 3 776 | 3 785 | 3 726 | 3 736 |
| Uruguay | 510 | 567 | 538 | 506 | 446 | 470 | 528 |
| | | | | | | | |
(a) Data as provided by the countries and not validated by IRTAD. (b) Real data (actual numbers instead of reported numbers by the police).
| | | | | 2022 % change from | | Annual average change |
|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|--------------------|---------------|-----------------------|
| 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | av. 2017-19 | 2012 | 2012-22 |
| | | | | | | |
| 4 898 | 3 513 | 4 481 | 4 567 | -14.4 | -10.0 | -1.0 |
| 1 187 | 1 097 | 1 116 | 1 188 | 0.5 | -8.5 | -0.9 |
| 416 | 344 | 362 | 370 | -10.4 | -30.3 | -3.5 |
| 644 | 499 | 516 | 540 | -12.8 | -34.7 | -4.2 |
| 1 756 | 1 746 | 1 768 | 1 934 | 4.4 | -6.8 | -0.7 |
| 1 973 | 1 794 | 2 052 | 2 137 | 9.5 | 8.0 | 0.8 |
| 6 577 | 5 447 | 7 238 | 8 030 | 22.2 | 50.9 | 4.2 |
| 787 | 570 | 707 | 786 | -4.1 | 20.0 | 1.8 |
| 617 | 517 | 531 | 527 | -14.6 | -29.0 | -3.4 |
| 199 | 163 | 130 | 154 | -15.2 | -7.8 | -0.8 |
| 211 | 223 | 225 | 189 | -17.6 | -25.9 | -3.0 |
| 3 244 | 2 541 | 2 944 | 3 267 | -1.4 | -10.6 | -1.1 |
| 3 046 | 2 719 | 2 562 | 2 788 | -12.0 | -22.6 | -2.5 |
| 688 | 584 | 624 | 641 | -9.2 | -35.1 | -4.2 |
| 602 | 460 | 544 | 535 | -13.7 | -11.6 | -1.2 |
| 6 | 8 | 9 | 9 | -32.5 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| 140 | 146 | 136 | 155 | 8.6 | -4.9 | -0.5 |
| 355 | 305 | 364 | 351 | 1.7 | 21.0 | 1.9 |
| 3 173 | 2 395 | 2 875 | 3 159 | -4.1 | -15.8 | -1.7 |
| 3 920 | 3 416 | 3 205 | 3 216 | -22.9 | -38.9 | -4.8 |
| 3 349 | 3 081 | 2 916 | 2 735 | -27.5 | -49.3 | -6.6 |
| 186 | 175 | 148 | 120 | -34.5 | -60.1 | -8.8 |
| 22 | 26 | 24 | 36 | 30.1 | 5.9 | 0.6 |
| 661 | 610 | 582 | 745 | 14.5 | 14.6 | 1.4 |
| 350 | 317 | 318 | 375 | 1.7 | 21.8 | 2.0 |
| 108 | 93 | 80 | 116 | 8.1 | -20.0 | -2.2 |
| 2 909 | 2 491 | 2 245 | 1 896 | -33.9 | -46.9 | -6.1 |
| 688 | 536 | 561 | 618 | -6.8 | -13.9 | -1.5 |
| 534 | 492 | 521 | 553 | -0.1 | -19.6 | -2.2 |
| 102 | 80 | 114 | 85 | -14.1 | -34.6 | -4.2 |
| 1 755 | 1 370 | 1 533 | 1 759 | -2.1 | -7.6 | -0.8 |
| 221 | 204 | 210 | 227 | -14.6 | -20.4 | -2.2 |
| 187 | 227 | 200 | 241 | 11.2 | -28.9 | -3.4 |
| 1 808 | 1 516 | 1 608 | 1 766 | -3.7 | -2.0 | -0.2 |
| 36 355 | 39 007 | 42 939 | 42 795 | 16.0 | 26.7 | 2.4 |
| | | | | | | |
| 14 673
3 622 | 13 630
3 005 | 14 715
3 685 | 15 979
3 499 | 4.0
-5.3 | -6.6
-16.0 | -0.7
-1.7 |
| 422 | 391 | 434 | 431 | -8.9 | -15.5 | -1.7 |
| | | | | | | |
Figure 11 illustrates the trends in road fatalities in IRTAD countries since 2012. It includes expected values for 2020 and 2021 had the trend continued without the Covid‑19 pandemic.
For most of the countries there is some evidence that 2020 and 2021 were exceptional years, with values much lower than the expected trend. For a more in‑depth analysis of the reasons for this variation at the country level, see the individual country reports on the ITF website.
2022 data confirm that 2020 and 2021 were exceptional years.
**Road deaths compared to the linear trend since 2012 (excluding 2020 and 2021)**
Road deaths Trend
2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022
### Road deaths Trend
### Road deaths Trend
When looking at the trends for 2012‑22, without including 2020 and 2021, the trend in road deaths is going upward in six countries: Colombia, Costa Rica, Israel, the Netherlands, New Zealand and the United States.
In some countries, such as Chile, Spain and the United Kingdom, the trend is plateauing, and except for the two exceptional years in 2020 and 2021, the number of road deaths did not show a clear decrease.
The trend is downward in the rest of the countries, even if few countries reached the target of halving road deaths in the last decade.
In six countries the long‑term trend in road deaths is ascending.
### **Road deaths by user group**
Disaggregated data by user category are available for 32 IRTAD countries (see Figure 12). For these countries, in 2022, road fatalities decreased by 14.1% compared to 2012. When looking at the evolution by user category, passenger car occupants and pedestrians recorded reductions of 26.1% and 27.3%, respectively. Cyclist fatalities decreased by 8.3% in 2022 compared to 2012, while motorcyclist fatalities recorded a strong increase of 19.9%.
In the last 10 years safety for pedestrians improved significantly.
Note: Data include Argentina, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Czechia, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Korea, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Serbia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom.
#### **Passenger car occupants**
When considering all reporting countries, the number of passenger car occupants killed in road crashes decreased by 26.1% between 2012 and 2022. In four countries, such fatalities decreased by more than 50%: Korea (‑63.8%), Costa Rica (‑59.8%), Slovenia (‑56.5%) and Lithuania (‑52.8%) (see Figure 13). However, in five countries, road deaths among passenger car occupants increased. The biggest increase was recorded in Chile (+46.5%), where the safety risk for this group has not improved in recent years.
Note: (a) Real data (actual numbers instead of reported numbers by the police).
### **Pedestrians**
The number of pedestrians killed in traffic decreased by 27.3% between 2012 and 2022 for the 32 countries with available data. Four countries recorded a reduction of more than 50%: Lithuania (‑71.3%), Norway (‑60.9%), Poland (‑60.2%) and Korea (‑54%) (Figure 14). Pedestrian fatalities increased in four countries, with Ireland recording the largest increase (48.3%), not taking in consideration Luxembourg for which small variations result in big growth rates.
Note: (a) Real data (actual numbers instead of reported numbers by the police). Data from Iceland are not included in this figure, as percentage changes in small numbers distort trends.
### **Cyclists**
Overall, the number of cyclists killed in traffic decreased by 8.3% in 2022 compared to 2012. In New Zealand, however, fatalities among cyclists more than doubled, from 8 to 19 people killed.
In Colombia, Argentina and Israel, cyclist fatalities increased by more than 50%. In France and the Netherlands, they increased by more than 40%.
The situation is particularly worrying in the Netherlands, where cycling is common. In 2022, cyclists represented 40% of all road fatalities in this country.
Fatalities among cyclists decreased in 19 out of 31 countries. Robust reductions were recorded in Lithuania (‑84.4%), Hungary (‑50.6%) and Norway (‑50%) (see Figure 15).
Note: (a) Real data (actual numbers instead of reported numbers by the police). Data from Iceland and Luxembourg are not included in this figure, as percentage changes in small numbers distort trends.
#### **Motorcyclists**
Motorcyclists are the only category of road users which recorded an increase in fatalities between 2012 and 2022. Fatalities among motorcyclists more than doubled in Israel and Colombia.
The data are very concerning, especially in Colombia, where the number of new registrations of motorcycles is constantly increasing. In two other Latin American countries, Costa Rica and Chile, motorcyclist fatalities increased by more than 50%.
The reductions in road fatalities among motorcyclists were smaller than for the other categories. Five countries recorded a decrease of more than 30% between 2012 and 2022: Japan (‑44.7%), Poland (‑38.5%), Slovenia (‑31.8%), Serbia and Switzerland (‑30.8%) (see Figure 16).
Note: (a) Real data (actual numbers instead of reported numbers by the police).
### **Road deaths by age group**
Disaggregated data by age group are available in 29 IRTAD counties. In 2022, road fatalities decreased by 15.5% compared to 2012 (see Figure 17). When looking at age cohorts, road fatalities decreased for all age groups, although at different paces.
The biggest reductions were recorded for children and young people (‑36.8% and ‑29.7%, respectively). Road deaths decreased less for the senior population. People aged between 65 and 74 recorded a decrease of 10.1% between 2012 and 2022, while people over 75 recorded a decrease of 9.9% in road deaths.
In the last ten 10 years, 36% less children died in road crashes.
**Evolution in road deaths by age group, 2022 compared to 2012**
Note: Data include Austria, Belgium, Chile, Colombia, Czechia, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Korea, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Serbia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom.
### **Road deaths by road type**
Data disaggregated by road type are available in 23 IRTAD countries. Overall, in 2022, road fatalities decreased by 27% compared to 2012 (see Figure 18). Deaths on urban and rural roads decreased by 27.8% and 27.7%, respectively. The data confirm that rural roads are still the least‑safe roads in absolute number. In 2022, road deaths on motorways decreased by 15.5% compared to 2012.
In the last 10 years, deaths on rural roads have decreased, but they are still the most dangerous road type.
### **Evolution in road deaths by road type, 2022 compared to 2012**
Note: Data include Austria, Belgium, Czechia, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Great Britain, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Korea, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Netherlands, New Zealand, Poland, Portugal, Serbia, Slovenia, Sweden, Switzerland.
Several countries have recently released new road safety strategies in response to the Global Plan for the Decade of Action for Road Safety 2021‑30. The Annex presents the current road safety strategies and targets.
27 countries have either adopted a new strategy for 2030 or are in the process of preparing one. The texts of the national road safety strategies of 29 of the 34 countries surveyed explicitly mention the Safe System approach or Vision Zero.
The ITF has long promoted the Safe System approach as the best way to improve road safety. This approach is based on the ethical perspective that no one should be killed or seriously injured in road traffic. The Safe System approach includes four principles (ITF, 2016), to which a recent ITF Working Group added a fifth (ITF, 2022b). The Safe System approach is also at the core of the Global Plan.
Most countries have adopted targets to reduce the number of road deaths. Among the 34 countries surveyed, 20 have a target aligned with the UN goal to reduce by 50% the number of road deaths by 2030.
The baseline for this target varies. The year 2020 would have been the natural baseline for the 2021‑2030 decade. However, due to the Covid‑19 pandemic, most countries' road deaths in 2020 were exceptionally low. Using 2020 data as the baseline would therefore make the 2030 target even more challenging.
Most IRTAD countries have chosen either 2019 or the average for 2017‑19 as a baseline for their 2030 targets. Several countries have set specific targets for specific road users (focusing, for example, on children, pedestrians or cyclists).
Eight countries (Australia, Belgium, Finland, Ireland, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, and Spain) have explicitly referred to the long‑term target of zero road deaths by 2050 in their strategies. In 2020 the European Union adopted its "Road Safety Policy Framework 2021‑30" (EC, 2020), which aims to halve the number of fatalities and serious injuries on European roads by 2030. This aim acts as a milestone on the path towards zero fatalities and serious injuries by 2050.
Reducing the number of people seriously injured in road traffic is at the core of the Safe System approach. Among the 34 countries surveyed, 22 have also set a target to reduce the number of people seriously injured in road crashes. This represents significant progress compared to the period coinciding with the First Decade of Action for Road Safety (2011‑20), when very few countries addressed the issue of serious injuries.
A total of 14 of the countries surveyed have adopted a target of halving the number of serious injuries by 2030. Four countries have a slightly less ambitious reduction target of 20‑40%. Four countries set their targets in absolute numbers.
Azzato, F. et al (2022), "Motorcycles in Latin America: current and recommended best practices for the protection of its users", Inter‑American Development Bank, https://publications.iadb.org/en/motorcycles-latinamerica-current-and-recommended-best-practices-protection-its-users.
Dablanc, L. et al. (2022a), « Etude 2022 sur les livreurs des plateformes à Paris et en petite couronne » [2022 study on platform delivery people in Paris], Institut Français des Sciences et Technologies des Transports, de l'Aménagement et des Réseaux, https://hal.science/hal-03903591.
Dablanc, L. et al. (2022b), « Enquête sur les travailleurs nantais des plateformes de livraison instantanée » [Survey of Nantes workers on instant delivery platforms], Institut Français des Sciences et Technologies des Transports, de l'Aménagement et des Réseaux, https://hal.science/hal-03897757.
EC (2020), "European Union Road Safety Policy Framework 2021‑30 – Next steps towards 'Vision Zero'", European Commission, Directorate‑General for Mobility and Transport, Brussels, https://data.europa.eu/doi/10.2832/391271.
Institut Paris Région (2022), « Le mass transit à l'heure du télétravail et de la sobriété énergétique » [Mass transit in the era of teleworking and energy sobriety], Note rapide Mobilité, n° 958, 9 October 2022, https://www. institutparisregion.fr/fileadmin/NewEtudes/000pack3/Etude\_2844/NR\_958\_ web.pdf.
IRTAD (2023), IRTAD Road Safety Database, OECD Stats, https://stats.oecd. org/Index.aspx?DataSetCode=IRTAD\_CASUAL\_BY\_AGE.
ITF (2022a), Declaration from the 7th IRTAD Conference, "Better Road Safety Data for Better Safety Outcomes", Lyon, 27‑28 September 2022, www.itf-oecd. org/7th-irtad-conference-better-road-safety-data-better-safety-outcomes.
ITF (2022b), The Safe System Approach in Action, ITF Research Report, OECD Publishing, Paris, https://doi.org/10.1787/ad5d82f0-en.
ITF (2016), Zero Road Deaths and Serious Injuries: Leading a Paradigm Shift to a Safe System, OECD Publishing, Paris, https://doi. org/10.1787/9789282108055-en.
Rodríguez, D.A., M. Santana and C.F. Pardo (2015), "La motocicleta en América Latina: caracterización de su uso e impactos en la movilidad en cinco ciudades de la región" [The motorcycle in Latin America: Characterisation of its use and impacts on mobility in five cities in the region], Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean, Bogotá, https://scioteca.caf.com/ handle/123456789/754.
WHO (2021), Global Plan for the Decade of Action for Road Safety 2021‑2030, 20 October 2021, www.who.int/publications/m/item/global-plan-for-thedecade-of-action-for-road-safety-2021-2030.
This section summarises the national data on prevailing speed limits for passenger cars, maximum authorised blood alcohol content levels, and legislation regarding seat belt and helmet use, as well as statistics on their usage. Detailed country profiles with data on deaths and injuries, crash risk exposure and road safety policies are available at www.itf-oecd.org/irtad.
### **National speed limits on urban roads, rural roads and motorways, 2023 passenger vehicles (km/h)**
| Country | Urban areas | Rural roads | Motorways |
|---------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Argentina | 40‑60 (Buenos Aires City has a range of 20
to 70 km/h) | 110 | 120–130 |
| Australia | 50 (default)
60‑80 (arterial roads - increasing use of 40
km/h or lower limits in urban areas with
high pedestrian activities) | 100, 110 | 100 km/h default although
often set to 110 km/h
(130 km/h in the Northern
Territory) |
| Austria | 50 | 100 | 130 |
| Belgium | 30‑50
20 for the "living streets" regime | 70‑90 | 120 |
| Bosnia and
Herzegovina | 50 | 80, 100 | 130 |
| Cambodia | 30‑40 (motorcycles, tricycles)
40 (passenger cars, trucks) | 60‑70 (motorcycles)
90 | No motorways |
| Canada | 40‑70 | 80–90 | 100–110 |
| Chile | 50 (maximum default limit but can vary
according to the type of road)
30 (school zones) | 90 (rural buses, trucks and school
transport)
100 (cars and interurban buses) | 120 (maximum default
speed limit but can vary in
some sections of the road,
according to the type of road
can be lowered to 100) |
| Colombia | 50 | 90 | 120 |
| Costa Rica | 40 (except when there is a 50 sign) | 40‑100 (60 when there is no signs) | No motorways |
| Czechia | 50 | 90 | 130 |
| Denmark | 50 (sections with 30, 40 or 60) | 80 (sections with 60, 70 or 90) | 130 (110 for a large part of
the motorway network) |
| Finland | 30‑60 | 80, 100 | 100, 120 |
| France | 50 by default
30 (some urban areas)
70 (exceptionally and under certain
conditions) | 80 or 90 (90 on dedicated passing slots),
110 on dual carriageways | 130 (110 in wet weather and
for novice drivers) |
| Germany | 50 | 100 | None (130 recommended) |
| Greece | 50 | 90 | 130 |
| Hungary | 50 (sections with 30, 40, 60 and 70) | 90 | 130 (110 on "motor roads") |
| Iceland | 50 | 90 (paved roads)
80 (gravel roads) | n.a. |
| Ireland | <=60 (can be 60 on arterial roads, 30 in
built up areas) | 80, 100 | 120 |
| Israel | 30‑ 50
70 (arterial roads) | 80, 90 | 100, 110, 120 |
| Italy | 50 | 70‑90 (110 on some main dual
carriageways) | 130 (110 km/h in wet weather,
100 for novice drivers.
Motorway operator may
increase speed limit up to
150 if stringent requirements
are met) |
| Country | Urban areas | Rural roads | Motorways |
|----------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Japan | 40, 50, 60 | 50, 60 | 100 |
| Korea | 50 | 60‑80 | 110 (100 in urban areas) |
| Lithuania | 50 | 90 (70 on gravel roads and for novice
drivers) | 120,130 (110 in winter, 90 for
novice drivers) |
| Luxembourg | 50 | 90 | 130 (110 in wet weather) |
| Mexico | 10‑80 (20 in school zones, 30 on secondary
and tertiary streets, 50 on primary avenues
without controlled access, 80 in central
lanes of controlled access avenues and 50
on state highways within urban areas) | 60‑110 (60 on collector road, 80 on state
highways outside urban areas; 50 within
urban areas; 110 on roads and motorways
under federal jurisdiction) | 110 (110 for car, 95 for buses
and 80 for freight transport
on roads and highways under
federal jurisdiction) |
| Moldova | 50
30 in school zones, near hospitals, parks
and historical centre
5 in pedestrian areas | 90 | No motorways |
| Morocco | 60 (30 in residential area) | 70, 80, 90, 100 (depending on vehicle type) | 120 (maximum speed, it
varies by vehicle type) |
| Netherlands | 30‑50 | 60‑80 | 100 between 6:00 and 19:00
100, 120, or 130 between
19:00 and 06:00 |
| New Zealand | 50 (sections may have higher or lower
limits) | 100 (specific sections may have lower
limits) | 100 (specific sections may
have limits of 110) |
| Norway | 50 (30 on residential streets) | 80 (70 on roads with high risk and 90 on
roads with very low traffic volumes) | 90,100,110 |
| Poland | 50 | 90, 100 (120 on expressways) | 140 (120 on expresways) |
| Portugal | 50 | 90 | 120 |
| Serbia | 50 | 80, 100 | 130 |
| Slovenia | 50 | 90 | 130 (110 on expressways) |
| South Africa | 60 | 100 | 120 |
| Spain | 20 (streets with a single carriageway and
sidewalk platform)
30 (single lane streets in each direction)
50 (streets with two or more lanes in each
direction) | 90 | 120 |
| Sweden | 30, 40, 50 | 60,70,80,90,100 | 110,120 |
| Switzerland | 50 (sections with 30) | 80 | 120 (100 on expressways) |
| United Kingdom | 48 (30 mph) (20 mph in Wales) | 96, 113 (60, 70 mph) | 113 (70 mph) |
| United States | Set by each state | Set by each state | 88‑129 (55‑80 mph, set by
each state) |
#### **Maximum authorised blood alcohol content levels, 2023, by country**
| Country | General BAC level (g/l) | Differentiated BAC level (g/l) |
|------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Argentina | 0.0 | 0.0 for professional drivers
0.0 for motorcycle and moped riders |
| Australia | 0.5 | 0.0 for novice drivers
0.2 for professional drivers |
| Austria | 0.5 | 0.1 for moped drivers under 20; novice drivers (first three years),
truck (>7.5 tons) and bus (>9 seats) drivers |
| Belgium | 0.5 | 0.2 for professional drivers (since January 2015) |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | 0.3 | 0.0 for professional drivers, novice drivers, drivers who perform
public transport, driving instructors, driving candidates, drivers
under 21 or with less than 3 years of driving experience |
| Cambodia | 0.5 | |
| Canada | 0.8 | administrative maximum level of 0.5 g/l or 0.4 g/l in most
provinces
0.0 g/l administrative maximum level for novice and young
(under 21) drivers in most provinces |
| Chile | 0.3 | |
| Colombia | 0.2 | |
| Costa Rica | 0.5 | 0.2 for novice and professional drivers |
| Czechia | 0.0 | |
| Denmark | 0.5 | |
| Finland | 0.5 | |
| France | 0.5 | 0.2 for bus/coach drivers, novice drivers |
| Germany | 0.5 (Drivers with a BAC between 0.3‑0.5 g/l
can have their licenses suspended if their
driving ability is impaired) | 0.0 for drivers under 21 and novice drivers, for professional
drivers who transport passengers or hazardous goods |
| Greece | 0.5 | 0.2 for professional drivers, novice drivers, motorcycles and
moped riders |
| Hungary | 0.0 | |
| Iceland | 0.5 | |
| Ireland | 0.5 | 0.2 for learner, novice and professional drivers |
| Israel | 0.5 | 0.1 for young (under 24), novice and professional drivers |
| Italy | 0.5 | 0.0 for young (under 21), novice and professional drivers |
| Japan | 0.3 | |
| Korea | 0.3 | |
| Lithuania | 0.4 | 0.0 for novice, professional, moped and motorcycle drivers |
| Luxembourg | 0.5 | 0.2 for novice and professional drivers |
| Malaysia | 0.8 | |
| Mexico | 0.5 | 0.0 for professional drivers
0.2 for motorcycle drivers |
| Country | General BAC level (g/l) | Differentiated BAC level (g/l) |
|----------------|----------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Moldova | 0.3 | |
| Morocco | 0.2 | |
| Netherlands | 0.5 (including cyclists) | 0.2 for novice drivers (first five years) and professional drivers |
| New Zealand | 0.5 | 0.0 for drivers under 20 years |
| Nigeria | 0.5 | 0.2 for novice and 0.0 g/l for professional drivers |
| Norway | 0.2 | |
| Poland | 0.2 | |
| Portugal | 0.5 | 0.2 for novice (first three years) and professional drivers (since 1
January 2014) |
| Serbia | 0.2 | 0.0 for novice and professional drivers and for PTW operators |
| Slovenia | 0.5 | 0.0 for novice (first three years) and professional drivers |
| South Africa | 0.5 | 0.2 for professional drivers |
| Spain | 0.5 | 0.3 for novice and professional drivers
0.0 for drivers under 18 |
| Sweden | 0.2 | |
| Switzerland | 0.5 | 0.0 for novice (first three years) and professional drivers |
| United Kingdom | 0.8 (England, Wales, Northern Ireland) | |
| United States | 0.5 (Scotland) | 0.4 for professional drivers
0.0 to 0.2 for drivers < 21 |
### **Seat-belt laws and wearing rates in front and rear seats of passenger cars, 2022 or latest available year**
| | | Front seats | | Rear seats |
|------------------------|------------------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------|
| Country | Date of
application | Wearing rate (%)
in 2022 | Date of
application | Wearing rate (%)
in 2022 |
| Argentina | 1995 | 57 driver (urban areas) | 1995 | 13 (urban areas) |
| Australia | 1970s | 97 (2018) | 1970s | 96 (2019) |
| Austria | 1984 | 98 drivers, 99 passengers | 1990 | 93 |
| Belgium | 1975 | 94 drivers and 92 passengers | 1991 | 79 |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | 2006 | | 2006 | |
| Cambodia | 2007 | 28 (2016) | Law in preparation | |
| Canada | 1976‑1988 | 97.5 (2017) | 1976‑1988 | 95 (2015) |
| Chile | 1985 | 86 drivers, 72 passengers (2021) | 2002 (for vehicles
manufactured from
2002) | 21 (2021) |
| Colombia | 2002 | 67 drivers; 49 passengers (2022) | 2004 | No official data |
| Costa Rica | 2020 | 71 drivers, 63 passengers (2020,
national roads) | 2020 | 36 (2020) |
| Czechia | 1966 | 94.9 (2023) | 1975 | 87.8 (2023) |
| Denmark | 1970s | 98 | 1980s | 93 |
| Finland | 1975 | 97 | 1987 | 90 |
| France | 1973 (rural), 1975 (urban
by night)
1979 (all times) | 99.3 outside built up areas
99.4 for small cities,
99.7 for major cities | 1991 | 90 |
| Germany | 1976 | 99 drivers, 98 passengers | 1984 | 95 |
| Greece | 1979 | 72 passengers | 1993 | 56 |
| Hungary | 1976 | 88 drivers, 87 passengers | 1993 outside built up
areas
2001 inside built up
areas | 57 |
| Iceland | | 97 drivers | | 93 |
| Ireland | 1979 | 99 drivers, 98 passengers (2021) | 1992 | 93 (2021) |
| Israel | 1975 | 93 drivers, 91 passengers (2019) | 1995 | 71 (2019) |
| Italy | 1988 | 87.4 drivers, 84 passengers | 1994 | 34.5 |
| Japan | 1985 | 99 drivers, 97 passengers | 2008 | 43 |
| Korea | 1990 | 85 drivers, 86 passengers | 2008, on motorways
only
Since September 2018,
on the whole road
network | 32 |
| Lithuania | | 98 (2021) | | 62 (2021) |
| Luxembourg | 1975 | 90 (2015) | 1992 | 76 (2015) |
| Malaysia | 1978 | 87 drivers, 74 pass. (2016) | 2009 | 15 (2016) |
| | | Front seats | Rear seats | | |
|----------------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------|--|
| Country | Date of
application | Wearing rate (%)
in 2022 | Date of
application | Wearing rate (%)
in 2022 | |
| Mexico | 2022 (new law) | 79 drivers, 65 general (2017) | 2022 (new law) | 46 (2017) | |
| Moldova | 2009 | No official data
>90 (estimation) | 2009 | No official data | |
| Morocco | 1977 – rural areas
2005 – urban areas | 57 passengers | 2005 – rural areas | 36 (2018) | |
| Netherlands | 1975 | 95 | 1992 | | |
| New Zealand | 1972 | 97 drivers, 96 passengers (2016) | 1979 | 92 (2014) | |
| Nigeria | 1997 (enforced since
2002) | 85 (2017) | 1997 (enforced since
2016) | 3 (2017) | |
| Norway | 1975 | 98.1 drivers in rural areas,
97.7 drivers outside rural areas,
97 passengers in rural areas,
96.6 passengers outside rural
areas | 1985 | 96 (2014) | |
| Poland | 1983 | 96 | 1991 | 90 | |
| Portugal | 1978 | 96 drivers and passengers
(2017) | 1994 | 77 (2017) | |
| Serbia | 1982 | 86 drivers, 81 passengers | 2009 | 19 | |
| Slovenia | 1977 | 95 drivers, 96 passengers (2018) | 1998 | 78 adults (2018) | |
| South Africa | 2005, vehicles registered
after 1 January 2006 | 4.5 drivers, 5 passengers
(estimation 2010) | 2005, vehicles registered
after 1 January 2006 | | |
| Spain | 1974 outside urban
areas
1992 inside urban areas | 96 driver, 95.9 passengers (2021) | 1992 | 92.8 (2021) | |
| Sweden | 1975 | 96 drivers (2021) | 1986; child restraint
since 1988 | 94 (2017) | |
| Switzerland | 1981 | 95 | 1994 | 88 | |
| United Kingdom | 1983 | 97 drivers, 97 passengers (2021
for Great Britain) | 1989 (children);
1991 (adults) | 92 (2021 for Great
Britain) | |
| United States | Primary law in 34 states
and D.C., secondary
law in 15 states. Not
mandatory for adults in
one state. | 92 | Varies by State | 76 (25‑69 year‑old) | |
### **Helmet laws and wearing rates, 2022 or latest available year**
| | Powered two-wheelers | | Cyclists | | |
|------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|--|
| Country | Helmet law | Wearing rate (%)
in 2022 | Helmet law | Wearing rate (%) in
2022 | |
| Argentina | Yes | 58 riders, 34 first pass.,
18 additional passengers
(urban areas) | Yes | 8 (2018) | |
| Australia | Yes | 99 riders (2018) | Yes | | |
| Austria | Yes | 100 | Yes, for children to age 12 | 40 (87 for children) | |
| Belgium | Yes | 99.7 | No | 24.8% | |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | Yes | | Yes | | |
| Cambodia | Yes, motorcycles from 50 cc,
motorcycles with trailers,
motorised tricycles (riders
and passengers) | Low (no precise data) | No | | |
| Canada | Yes | | In some jurisdictions | | |
| Chile | Yes | 95 riders, 87 passengers
(2021) | Yes in urban areas | 67.3 (2019) | |
| Colombia | Yes | 79.2 motorcycle riders,
52.7 passengers (urban
areas) | Yes, for children to age 18 | 22.4 (urban areas)
(2022) | |
| Costa Rica | Yes | 97.2 riders, 90.1
passengers (2020) | No | | |
| Czechia | Yes | 100 (2023) | Yes, for children to age 18 | 87.8 (2023) | |
| Denmark | Yes | 100 motorcycles
96.6 light mopeds (urban
areas) | No | 50 (urban areas) | |
| Finland | Yes | 99.7 (2019) | No | 54 | |
| France | Yes, since 1973 for
motorcyclists
1976 for moped riders
outside built up areas
1980 for moped roders in
urban areas | 97 outside built up areas
98 in urban areas | Yes, for children under 12 | Major cities: 34 weekdays,
33 weekends (2021) | |
| Germany | Yes | 98.5 riders, 98.9
passengers (inside urban
areas) | No | 40.3 (inside urban areas
including sport bicycles)
34 (inside urban areas
excluding sport bicycles) | |
| Greece | Yes, since 1977 | 80.3 riders, 65.5
passengers | No | | |
| Hungary | Yes since 1965 for
motorcyclists,
1997 for moped riders
outside built up areas
1998 for moped riders in
urban areas. | 99 Budapest area (2019)
97 Rural areas (2019) | No | 18 Budapest area (2019)
4.5 Rural areas (2019) | |
| Iceland | Yes | n.a. | Yes, for children to age 14 | | |
| Ireland | Yes, since 1978 | 99.8 (2021) | No | 53 | |
| Israel | Yes | n.a. | Yes. Mandatory for all
ages in non-urban roads.
Mandatory for cyclists
under 18 years in urban
roads | 21% (2015 observational
survey among cyclists on
urban roads) | |
| Italy | Yes, for all since 2000
Since 1986 for motorcyclists
and riders of moped under 18 | 96.5 | No | | |
| Japan | Yes | 100 (2021) | Yes, since 2023 | 13.5 | |
| | | | | | |
| | Powered two-wheelers | | Cyclists | | |
|----------------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------|--|
| Country | Helmet law | Wearing rate (%)
in 2022 | Helmet law | Wearing rate (%) in
2022 | |
| Korea | Yes | 93 (2021) | No | 94 | |
| Lithuania | Yes | | Yes, for children to age 18 | | |
| Luxembourg | Yes, since 1976 | 100 (2021e) | No | | |
| Malaysia | Yes, since 1973 | c. 77 (2015) | No | | |
| Mexico | Yes | 89 riders, 82 passengers
(2021) | Yes on federal roads since
2012 | 11 (2017) | |
| Moldova | Yes | No national data | Yes on road sections with a
speed limit above 50 km/h | | |
| Morocco | Yes, since 1976 | 57 riders, 31 passengers | No | | |
| Netherlands | Yes, motorcycles since 1972;
mopeds since 1975. Not
compulsory on slow mopeds
(max. 25 km/h) until 2022
As of 1 Jan 2023 all riders of
slow-mopeds (speed max
25 km./h must wear a helmet | 99 mopeds | No | 3% bikes, 8% e-bikes | |
| New Zealand | Yes, since 1956 when
travelling above 30 mph
Since 1973 at all speeds | 100 (2021) | Yes, since 1994 | 94 (2015) | |
| Norway | Yes | 100 (2021) | No | 67.1 (all age groups)
66.7 (above 12)
74.5 (below 12) | |
| Poland | Yes, since 1997 | 100 | No | 25 | |
| Portugal | Yes | Motorcyclists: 97.6 riders,
100 passengers
Mopeds: 94 riders, 92
passengers
(2013) | No | | |
| Serbia | Yes | Motorcyclists: 87.7 riders,
80.3 passengers
Mopeds: 69.2 riders, 70.7
passengers | No | 3.7 | |
| Slovenia | Yes | n.a. | Yes, for children and
youngster under 18 | 21
67 (children)
27 (young)
(2022) | |
| Spain | Yes | 99.4 riders, 96.2
passengers
99.3 in urban roads
(2021)
100 in motorways and
rural roads (2021) | Yes.
Mandatory on non-urban
roads for all.
Mandatory on urban rods
only for cyclists under 6 | 33 in urban roads
89.8 in rural roads | |
| Sweden | Yes | 98 for mopeds (2021) | Yes, for children to age 15
(since 2015) | 46 for all age groups
64 for children
42 for adults | |
| Switzerland | Yes, motorcycles since 1981;
mopeds since 1990 | 100 motorcycles
95 mopeds | No for regular bicycles
Yes for e-bikes > 25km/h | 56 cyclists
68 e-bikes <25km/h
91 e-bikes >25km/h | |
| United Kingdom | Yes, motorcycles 1973;
mopeds since 1977 | | No | | |
| United States | No national law.18 states, D.C.
and PR require helmet use
by all, 29 by specific users, 3
have no helmet law. | 65 use of DOT-compliant
helmets | Age-specific helmet laws in
21 states and D.C. | | |
| Annex. Road safety strategies and targets in IRTAD countries | | | | | | | | |
|--------------------------------------------------------------|--|--|--|--|--|--|--|--|
|--------------------------------------------------------------|--|--|--|--|--|--|--|--|
This Annex details national road safety strategies (Table A1) and national targets on road deaths and serious injuries (Table A2).
#### **Road safety strategies in IRTAD countries**
| Country | Strategy |
|------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Australia | The Australian National Road Safety Strategy 2021-30 was adopted in 2021 following consultation and
review. The strategy continues Australia's commitment to the Safe System approach.
The Australian National Road Safety Action Plan 2023-25 sets out the key actions all governments will undertake
to 2025.
Link:
https://www.roadsafety.gov.au/nrss |
| Austria | The Austrian Road Safety Strategy 2021-2030 refers to the Safe System.
Link:
https://www.bmk.gv.at/en/topics/transport/roads/safety/vss2030.html |
| Belgium | Belgium's federal road safety plan, the Plan Fédéral de Sécurité Routière 2021-25, is based on Vision Zero.
There are also three regional plans and a federal strategy, known as "All for Zero".
Links:
https://all-for-zero.be/storage/minisites/plan-federal-securite-routiere.pdf
https://all-for-zero.be/fr/all-for-zero/ |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | The Framework Road Safety Strategy Development for Bosnia and Herzegovina (2024-2028) is under
preparation and has not yet been published. The strategy's vision is the Road To Zero. |
| Canada | Canada's Road Safety Strategy 2025 (RSS 2025) was first published in 2016 and adopts the Safe System
approach.
Canada also has a long-term vision of zero fatalities and serious injuries on the roads (Vision Zero).
Link:
http://roadsafetystrategy.ca/en/ |
| Chile | Chile's Estrategia Nacional de Seguridad de Tránsito [National Road Safety Strategy] for 2021-30 was
published in December 2020. It specifically refers to the Safe System and Vision Zero ("Vision Zero for Chile").
Link:
https://conaset.cl/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Estrategia-Nacional-de-Seguridad-de-Tránsito_2021-2030.pdf |
| Colombia | Colombia's National Road Safety Strategy 2022-31 was adopted in July 2022. It officially adopted the Safe
System approach.
Link:
https://www.ansv.gov.co |
| Czechia | Czechia's national road safety strategy for 2021-30 is titled Road Safety is Everyone's Right and
Responsibility. Both Vision Zero and the Safe System approach are at its core.
Link:
https://besip.cz/getattachment/Pro-odborniky/Narodni-strategie-BESIP/Aktualni-strategie/Czech-Road-Traffic
Safety-Strategy-2021-30_11-11.pdf |
| Denmark | Denmark has adopted the 2021-2030 Action Plan. The plan does not refer to Vision Zero or the Safe System.
The current plan's vision is "Every accident is one too many", which dates back to earlier action plans created by
the Commission.
Link:
https://www.faerdselssikkerhedskommissionen.dk/media/eymfxr0n/fsk_resume_handlingsplaneng_2021-2030_
final.pdf |
| Country | Strategy |
|---------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Finland | Finland's traffic safety strategy for 2022-2026 was published in March 2022 and was accompanied by a
government resolution on traffic safety. It refers to both Vision Zero and the Safe System.
Link:
https://www.fintraffic.fi/en/fintraffic/strategy-2022-2026 |
| France | In France, the road safety strategy is announced with each meeting of the Interministerial Road Safety
Committee. The last one was held on 17 July 2023.
Link:
https://www.onisr.securite-routiere.gouv.fr/en/road-safety-policy/interministerial-road-safety-committees |
| Germany | The German road safety strategy (known as the Road Safety Pact) covers the period 2021-30. It refers to the
Safe System.
Link:
https://www.bmvi.de/SharedDocs/DE/Anlage/StV/road-safety-pact-en.pdf?blob=publicationFile |
| Greece | Greece's National Road Safety Strategic Plan covers the period 2021-2030. It refers to both the Safe System
approach and Vision Zero.
Links:
https://www.nrso.ntua.gr/nrss2030/?lang=en
https://www.nrso.ntua.gr/nrss2030/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/NationalRoadSafetyStrategicPlan-eng.pdf |
| Hungary | In Hungary, road safety strategies are prepared for three-year periods. The current Road Safety Action Plan
covers the period 2023-25. It is built on the concept of Vision Zero and the Safe System approach.
Link:
https://www.kti.hu |
| Ireland | Ireland's national road safety strategy for 2021-2030, Our Journey Towards Vision Zero, refers to both the Safe
System and Vision Zero.
The 2021-2030 strategy is supported by a Phase 1 Action Plan for 2021-24.
The strategy and action plan focus on seven Safe System priority intervention areas, and commit to achieving
Vision Zero in Ireland by 2050.
Links:
https://www.rsa.ie/about/safety-strategy-2021-2030
https://www.rsa.ie/docs/default-source/road-safety/action-plans/rsa_safety_strategy_action_
plan_2021_2024_13th_jan2022_final_online.pdf?sfvrsn=67518e36_5 |
| Italy | In April 2022, Italy's Interministerial Committee for Economic Planning and Sustainable Development approved
the National Road Safety Plan 2030.
The plan is based on the Safe System approach.
Link:
https://www.mit.gov.it/nfsmitgov/files/media/progetti/2022-09/20220916_Piano%20Nazionale%20Sicurezza%20
Stradale_Def.pdf |
| Japan | The Japanese government released its 11th Traffic Safety Program in March 2021. It covers the period 2021-25.
It does not refer to either the Safe System or Vision Zero.
Link:
https://www8.cao.go.jp/koutu/kihon/keikaku11/index.html |
| Korea | Korea's 9th National Transport Safety Plan 2022-2026 has been approved by the Ministry of Land,
Infrastructure and Transport. The Plan is based on Vision Zero.
Link:
http://molit.go.kr/viewer/skin/doc.html?fn=3f774e661393273f795b8c521c83a539&rs=/viewer/result/20220928 |
| Country | Strategy |
|-------------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Luxembourg | Luxembourg has put in place a National Road Safety Action Plan for 2019-2023. |
| | The plan aims to reduce the large number of serious injuries and fatalities on the roads in pursuit of the long-term
goal of zero deaths and zero serious injuries. |
| | Link:
https://gouvernement.lu/dam-assets/documents/actualites/2019/05-mai/Plan-d-action-securite-routiere.pdf |
| Mexico | Mexico published the new Mobility and Road Safety Strategy (ENAMOV) 2023-2042 in June 2023. |
| | A new General Law of Mobility and Road Safety was published in the Official Gazette of the Federation on 17 May
2022. Its objective is to establish the basis for guaranteeing the right to safe mobility and inclusive accessibility.
The law adopts a Safe System approach. |
| | Links: |
| | https://www.dof.gob.mx/nota_detalle.php?codigo=5596042&fecha=02/07/2020 |
| | https://www.diputados.gob.mx/LeyesBiblio/pdf/LGMSV.pdf |
| | https://www.gob.mx/cms/uploads/attachment/file/848141/ENAMOV_2023-2042.pdf |
| Moldova | Moldova is currently developing a new road safety strategy to replace the previous strategy covering the period
2011-20. |
| | In January 2020, the Moldovan government approved a Road Safety Action Plan for the period 2020-21. The plan
referred to Vision Zero and the five road safety pillars. |
| | Link: |
| | https://www.legis.md/cautare/getResults?doc_id=120102⟨=ro |
| Morocco | Morocco's current national road safety strategy covers the period 2017-2026. |
| | The strategy refers to the Safe System and is based on the five road safety pillars. |
| | Link: |
| | https://www.narsa.ma/fr |
| Netherlands | The Netherlands' road safety strategy is called Door to Door Safety (2018-2030). The Road Safety Strategic
Plan 2030 is based on a joint vision on the approach to road safety policy. |
| | The strategy is based on the Safe System approach (named Sustainable Safety in the Netherlands). |
| | Links: |
| | https://www.kennisnetwerkspv.nl/getmedia/ce0099b7-ce77-4ce2-98c8-a7810662ef10/19-093-RO-SPV-Engels_ |
| | v2.pdf.aspx
https://open.overheid.nl/documenten/ronl-d55ff6bc0b5d564c03906bb54019eb485f83842e/pdf |
| | |
| New Zealand | New Zealand's road safety strategy for 2020-30 is titled Road to Zero and is based on Vision Zero and the Safe
System approach. |
| | Link: |
| | https://www.transport.govt.nz/assets/Uploads/Report/Road-to-Zero-strategy_final.pdf |
| | |
| Norway | Vision Zero was adopted by the Parliament for the first time in 2001 and is the base for all the following Road
Safety Strategies. |
| | The existing strategy was adopted by the Parliament in 2021 as part of the National Transport Plan 2022-2033. |
| | The National Plan of Action for Road Safety 2022-2025 was developed by the Norwegian Public Roads
Administration in cooperation with a wide range of other national stakeholders. |
| | Links: |
| | https://www.vegvesen.no/globalassets/fag/fokusomrader/trafikksikkerhet/nasjonal-tiltaksplan-for |
| | trafikksikkerhet-pa-vei-2022-2025.pdf
https://www.vegvesen.no/globalassets/fag/fokusomrader/trafikksikkerhet/national-plan-of-action-for-road |
| Country | Strategy |
|-------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Poland | Poland published its National Road Safety Programme 2021-2030 in December 2021. The document refers to
both Vision Zero and the Safe System approach.
Link:
https://www.krbrd.gov.pl/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Narodowy-Program-Bezpieczenstwa-Ruchu
Drogowego-2021-2030.pdf |
| Portugal | Portugal's national road safety strategy 2021-30, entitled "Vision Zero to 2030", is currently under development.
It refers to Vision Zero and the Safe System approach.
Link:
https://visaozero2030.pt/en/ |
| Serbia | Serbia adopted the National Road Safety Strategy 2023-2030 in September 2023, along with the Action Plan
2023-2025.
It refers to Vision Zero and the Safe System approach.
Link:
https://abs.gov.rs/ср/propisi-71/strateski-dokumenti |
| Slovenia | The new national programme for the period 2023-30 was prepared approved by the National Assembly. It will be
based on Vision Zero and the Safe System approach.
Link:
https://www.avp-rs.si/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/novo1_renpvcp23_30-v01-3-10-2023.pdf |
| Spain | Spain's Road Safety Strategy 2030 (Estrategia de Seguridad Vial 2030, ESV 2030) was published and officially
presented by the Minister of the Interior on 9 June 2022.
The strategy is based on the Safe System approach. The main target is aligned with the WHO Plan for the
Decade of Action as well as the European Union Framework 2021-2030, namely: a 50% reduction in deaths and
serious injuries for 2030, and a long-term target of Vision Zero by 2050.
Links:
https://seguridadvial2030.dgt.es/inicio/
https://seguridadvial2030.dgt.es/export/sites/sv2030/.galleries/descargas/Road_Safety_Strategy_2030_
Summary_EN.pdf |
| Sweden | Sweden released the updated 2022-30 road safety strategy in 2023. The strategy is based on Vision Zero.
The Action Plan 2022-2025, developed by the Swedish Transport Administration, also describes commitments
from a wide range of stakeholders.
Links:
http://trafikverket.diva-portal.org/smash/record.jsf?pid=diva2%3A1657137&dswid=2597
https://bransch.trafikverket.se/for-dig-i-branschen/samarbete-med-branschen/Samarbeten-for-trafiksakerhet/
tillsammans-for-nollvisionen/gemensam-aktionsplan-for-saker-vagtrafik-2022-2025/ |
| Switzerland | In 2016 the Swiss Federal Roads Office (FEDRO) published a strategy that set targets for fatalities and serious
injuries on Swiss roads to be met by 2030.
The sub-strategy on road safety, published in 2020, specifies the need for action and concrete measures. It
does not refer either to Vision Zero or the Safe System approach.
Links:
https://www.astra.admin.ch/dam/astra/fr/dokumente/direktion/strategische-ausrichtung.pdf.download.pdf/
Orientation%20strat%C3%A9gique%20de%20l'OFROU.pdf
https://www.astra.admin.ch/dam/astra/fr/dokumente/direktion/teilstrategie-verkehrssicherheit.pdf.download.
pdf/Strat%C3%A9gie%20partielle%20s%C3%A9curit%C3%A9%20routi%C3%A8re.pdf |
| Country | Strategy |
|----------------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| United Kingdom | The United Kingdom is the process of developing a new Road Safety Strategic Framework (RSSF) which will be
published. It is likely to be based on a Safe System approach.
Link:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/strategic-framework-for-road-safety |
| United States | In January 2022, the US Department of Transportation released a National Roadway Safety Strategy (NRSS).
At the core of this strategy is a Department-wide adoption of the Safe System approach. This is the first step in
working towards an ambitious long-term goal of reaching zero roadway fatalities.
Links:
https://www.transportation.gov/NRSS
https://www.transportation.gov/sites/dot.gov/files/2022-04/US_DOT_FY2022-26_Strategic_Plan.pdf
DOT NRSS Action Tracking Dashboard
2023 Progress Report on the National Roadway Safety Strategy |
### **Targets on road deaths and serious injuries in IRTAD countries**
| Country | Target | Baseline year(s) |
|------------------------|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Australia | • Reduce fatalities by 50% by 2030
• Reduce serious injuries by 30% by 2030.
As part of demonstrating a commitment to the 2050 Vision Zero target, the
strategy will target by 2030:
• Zero deaths for children 7 years and under
• Zero deaths in city central business district (CBD) areas
• Zero deaths on National highways and on high-speed roads covering
80% of travel across the network.
There are no interim targets, however, the 2030 Target of a 30 per cent
reduction in serious injuries by 2030 will be assessed as part of the mid-term
review of the Strategy. | Average for 2018-20 for
fatalities.
3-year average of hospital
cases for 2017-18 and 2018-19
and estimates for 2019-20, for
serious injuries. |
| Austria | • Reduce road deaths and serious injuries by 50% by 2030.
Austria also has a Vision Zero for child fatalities. | Average for 2017-19 |
| Belgium | • Reduce road deaths by 50% by 2030
• Reduce serious injuries, as defined by a maximum abbreviated injury
score of three or above (MAIS3+), by 50% by 2030
• Reduce road deaths by 100% by 2050
• Reduce serious injuries (MAIS3+) by 90% by 2050. | 2019 |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | • Reduction of 50% in the number of deaths and serious injuries by 2030. | |
| Canada | No hard quantitative targets. | |
| Chile | • Reduce road traffic fatalities by 30% by 2030.
There are specific additional targets:
• Reduce the share of vulnerable road users in road deaths from 49% to
35% of all deaths
• Reduce the mortality rate of young people (15 29) from 2.2 in 2019 to
1.5 deaths per 100 000 inhabitants in 2030.
• Reduce the mortality rate of elderly people (+60) from 1.9 in 2019 to
1.3 deaths per 100 000 inhabitants in 2030. | Average for 2011-19 |
| Colombia | • Reduce by 50% the road mortality from 14.6 road deaths per
100 000 population in 2021 to 7.3 in 2030.
The strategy also includes three specific targets:
• Reduce by 47% (from 4 526 in 2021 to 2 421 in 2030) the number of
motorcyclists killed in road crashes
• Reduce by 44% (from 1 590 in 2021 to 891 in 2030) the number of
pedestrians killed in road crashes
• Reduce by 37% (from 483 in 2021 to 302 in 2030) the number of cyclists
killed in road crashes. | 2021 |
| Czechia | • Reduce road deaths and serious injuries by 50% by 2030. | Average for 2017-19 |
| Country | Target | Baseline year(s) |
|---------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|------------------|
| Denmark | • Reduce the number road deaths to 90 or below (data from policy
registry)
• Reduce the number of serious injuries to 900 or below (data from the
police registry)
• Reduce the number of slight injures to 10 000 or below (data from the
Danish national patient register).
These figures correspond to an approximate 50% reduction of the average for
2017-19, which is 182 killed and 1 813 seriously injured persons per year.
There are no specific targets, but five focus areas have been pointed out
and will be monitored: single vehicle crashes, head-on collisions, crashes at
intersections, vulnerable road users and young car drivers. | |
| Finland | • Reduce by 50% the number of road deaths and serious injuries by 2030.
The long-term vision is zero road deaths in 2050. | 2020 |
| France | France endorsed the road safety targets, decided at the European Union level
in Valetta in March 2017, to reduce by 50% the number of fatalities and severe
injuries on European roads by 2030.
France reiterated its commitment at the February 2020 Global Ministerial
Meeting on Road Safety in Stockholm, which concluded that these same targets
should be achieved globally by 2030.
The baseline year is 2019 since the year 2020 cannot be considered as a
reference, due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
France has also endorsed the concept of zero fatalities on the roads by 2050. | 2019 |
| Germany | • Reduce by 40 % the number of road deaths by 2030.
• "Significantly" reduce the number of serious injuries by 2030. | 2021 |
| Greece | • Reduce by 50% road deaths and serious injuries by 2030.
Additional specific targets:
• 66% reduction in motorcyclists killed by 2030
• 60% reduction in road fatalities on Greek islands by 2030
• No deaths on motorways by 2030
• 35% reduction in deaths in single vehicles crashes by 2030
• Zero fatalities in 49 cities with a population between 50 000 and
100 000 inhabitants
• Being ranked 13th among EU countries regarding deaths per
100 000 population.
There is an interim target to reduce by 30% deaths and serious injuries by 2025. | 2019 |
| Hungary | Long-term targets:
• Reduce by 50% the number of road deaths by 2030 from 460 to 230
• Reduce by 50% the number of serious injuries by 2030 from 4 655 to
2 327
Short-term targets:
• Reach the EU average in terms of road fatalities per million inhabitants
by 2025
• Proportional reduction of the number of fatalities and serious injuries
to reach the 2030 target (345 fatalities and 3 491 seriously injuries by
2025) | 2020 |
| Country | Target | Baseline year(s) |
|-------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|---------------------|
| Ireland | • Reduce by 50% the number of road deaths by 2030 from 144 to 72 or
lower
• Reduce by 50% the number of serious injuries by 2030, from 1 259 to
630 or lower.
The strategy is divided into three phases (Phase 1 = 2021-24, Phase 2 = 2025-27,
Phase 3 = 2028-30) and the targets for the end of Phase 1 are to:
• Reduce by 15% the number of road deaths by 2020, from 144 to 122 or
lower
• Reduce by 10% the number of serious injuries from 1 259 to 1 133 or
lower.
The strategy commits to achieving Vision Zero in Ireland by 2050. | Average for 2017-19 |
| Italy | • Reduce by 50 % the number of road deaths and serious injuries by 2030.
A linear decrease in both deaths and serious injuries is hypothesised over the
decade, with interim monitoring in 2024 and 2027.
Specific targets in terms of reduction of the total number of fatalities have
been set for some road users: children, young drivers, motorcyclists, cyclists,
pedestrians and people over 65. | 2019 |
| Japan | • Fewer than 2 000 road deaths (within 24 hours) by 2025 (corresponding
to a reduction by 30% compared to 2020)
• Fewer than 22 000 serious injuries by 2025. | |
| Korea | • Reach less than 1 800 road deaths, is a 38% reduction from the number
in 2021.
The target is in line with the United Nations goal to halve road deaths by 2030. | |
| Luxembourg | • Reduce road fatalities and serious injuries by 50% by 2030.
This target follows the objectives of the European Commission's Decade of
Action 2021-2030 as well as the United Nations target for the same period. | |
| Mexico | Not yet defined. | |
| Moldova | Not yet defined. | |
| Morocco | • Reduce by 50% road deaths by 2026.
There are specific targets for pedestrians, powered two- and three-wheelers,
children, single-vehicle crashes and commercial transport. | 2015 |
| Netherlands | The 2030 road safety strategy in general aims at zero fatalities and injuries by
2050.
At this moment politicians are debating an intermediate goal of a reduction of
50% in serious injuries and fatalities by 2030 as well as the reference year. | |
| New Zealand | • A 40 % reduction in killed and serious injuries by 2030.
The long-term vision of the strategy is to achieve zero deaths and serious
injuries on the roads by 2050. | 2018 |
| Norway | In 2030, the number of killed or seriously injured in road traffic should be
maximum 350, with no more than 50 fatalities.
There should be zero fatality from road traffic crashes in 2050. | |
| Country | Target | Baseline year(s) |
|----------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|---------------------|
| Poland | • To reduce by 50% the number of road deaths and serious injuries by
2030.
There are specific targets for vulnerable road users (pedestrians, cyclists,
moped and motorcyclists riders) and alcohol-related fatalities.
There are also interim targets for each year of the programme. | 2019 |
| Portugal | • Reduce by 50% the number of road deaths by 2030.
• Reduce by 50% the number of MAIS3+ serious injuries by 2030 | 2019 |
| Serbia | • Reduce by 50% the number of road deaths and serious injuries by 2030.
• 0 children killed in traffic from 2030.
There are specific targets per pillar, as well as interim targets for specific year
before 2030. | 2019 |
| Slovenia | • Reduce by 50% the number of road deaths and serious injuries by 2030. | |
| Spain | • Reduce by 50% the number of road deaths and serious injuries by 2030.
There is a long term target of zero road deaths and serious injuries by 2050.
No intermediate targets are explicitly set, but a linear reduction up to the final
target is implicitly used as reference value for the year to year decrease in the
figures.
There are specific targets in terms of reduction of the total number of deaths
and serious injuries, for the different road users, types of roads, and age
groups. | 2019 |
| Sweden | • Reduce by 50% the number of road deaths by 2030, with a maximum of
133 road deaths in 2030
• Reduce by 25% the number of serious injuries by 2030.
There are some more specific targets:
• 25% reduction in seriously injured pedestrians falling (single) by 2030
• 25% reduction in seriously injured cyclists in single crashes by 2030
A quantification of the target to reduce road deaths due to suicides (including
jumping from bridges) may come at a later stage. | Average for 2017-19 |
| Switzerland | • Maximum 100 fatalities and 2 500 seriously injured per year by 2030 on
Swiss roads.
• Maximum 25 fatalities and 500 seriously injured among human‑powered
forms of mobility per year by 2030 on Swiss roads (e.g. pedestrians,
bicycles and e-bikes, scooters and e-scooters, inline skates or
skateboards). | |
| United Kingdom | Targets not yet defined. | |
| United States | The 2022-26 Strategic Plan includes the target to reduce by 66% motor vehicle
related fatalities by 2040 to demonstrate progress to achieve zero roadway
fatalities.
The national strategy includes a summary of the key actions the Department
will take over the next three years to work towards the ambitious long-term
goal of reaching zero roadway fatalities.
Intermediate targets also exist for 2022 and 2023. | |
Rachele Poggi (ITF) prepared this report with support from the ITF Secretariat.
David Prater (ITF) copy-edited this report.
Renaud Madignier designed the report. It is based on data and information provided by the IRTAD Group.
The ITF is grateful to all the members of the IRTAD Group for their contributions to this report.
More than 80 institutes worldwide are members or observers of the IRTAD Group, representing an extensive range of public and private organisations with a direct interest in road safety.
IRTAD Group Chair: Dominique MIGNOT (France)
| Argentina | National Road Safety Agency (ANSV) |
|------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Australia | Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts |
| | Australian Road Research Board (ARRB) |
| Austria | AIT Austrian Institute of Technology GmbH |
| | Kuratorium für Verkehrssicherheit (KfV) |
| | |
| Belgium | Vias Institute |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | Ministry of Communications and Transport |
| Cambodia | National Road Safety Committee |
| | |
| Canada | Transport Canada |
| Chile | Ministry of Transport and Telecommunications, Comisión Nacional de Seguridad de Tránsito |
| Colombia | National Road Safety Agency (ANSV) |
| Costa Rica | National Road Safety Council (COSEVI) |
| Czechia | Transport Research Centre (CDV) |
| Denmark | Road Directorate |
| | Technical University of Denmark (DTU) |
| Finland | Finnish Transport and Communications Agency Traficom |
| | |
| France | National Interministerial Road Safety Observatory (ONISR) |
| | |
| | Centre for Studies on Expertise and Risks, Mobility, Land Planning and the Environment (Cerema) |
| | Gustave Eiffel University |
| | GIE PSA Renault |
| Germany | Federal Highway Research Institute (BASt) |
| | DEKRA e.V |
| | Fraunhofer Institute for Transportation and Infrastructure Systems |
| | German Automobile Association (ADAC) |
| | German Insurance Association(GDV) |
| | German Road Safety Council (DVR) |
| | Mercedes Benz AG |
| | PTV Group |
| | Robert Bosch GmbH |
| | Traffic Accident Research Institute at University of Technology Dresden (VUFO) |
| | Volkswagen AG |
| Greece | National Technical University of Athens |
| | EL.STAT |
| Hungary | Institute for Transport Sciences (KTI) |
| Iceland | Icelandic Road and Coastal Administration |
| | Icelandic Transport Authority (ICETRA) |
| Ireland | Road Safety Authority |
|--------------|--------------------------------------------------|
| Israel | National Road Safety Authority |
| | Central Bureau of Statistics |
| Italy | Centre for Transport and Logistics (CTL) |
| | Italian Automobile Club (ACI) |
| | Fred Engineering |
| | ISTAT |
| | |
| Japan | National Police Agency |
| | Institute for Traffic Research and Data Analysis |
| | National Research Institute for Police Science |
| | Kansai University |
| Korea | Korea Road Traffic Authority (KoROAD) |
| | Korea Expressway Corporation |
| | Korea Transportation Safety Authority (KOTSA) |
| | Korea Transport Institute (KOTI) |
| Lithuania | Ministry of Transport and Communications |
| Luxembourg | STATEC |
| Mexico | Mexican Institute of Transportation (IMT) |
| Moldova | Technical University of Moldova |
| Morocco | National Road Safety Agency (NARSA) |
| Netherlands | Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management |
| | Institute for Road Safety Research (SWOV) |
| | VIA Software |
| New Zealand | Ministry of Transport |
| Norway | Norwegian Public Road Administration |
| Poland | Motor Transport Institute (ITS) |
| Portugal | National Road Safety Authority (ANSR) |
| | National Laboratory for Civil Engineering (LNEC) |
| Serbia | Road Traffic Safety Agency |
| | Motor Vehicle Centre (AMSS) |
| Slovenia | Slovenian Traffic Safety Agency |
| South Africa | Road Traffic Management Corporation |
| Spain | General Traffic Directorate |
| | |
| Sweden | Swedish Transport Agency |
|-----------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------|
| | Swedish Transport Administration |
| | Swedish Road and Transport Research Institute (VTI) |
| Switzerland | Federal Roads Office (FEDRO) |
| | Swiss Council for Accident Prevention (BfU) |
| United Kingdom | Department for Transport |
| | Agilysis |
| | Transport Research Laboratory |
| United States | National Highway Traffic Safety Administration |
| Uruguay | National Road Safety Unit (UNASEV) |
| International organisations | European Commission |
| | European Transport Safety Council (ETSC) |
| | Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) |
| | FIA Foundation |
| | International Motorcycle Manufacturers Association (IMMA) |
| | The Motorcycle Industry in Europe (ACEM) |
| | Towards Zero Foundation |
| | World Bank |
| | World Health Organisation (WHO) |
| | |
# **Road Safety** Annual Report 2023
The Road Safety Annual Report 2023 provides an overview of road safety performance for the 42 countries participating in the International Transport Forum's permanent working group on road safety, known as IRTAD. Based on the latest data, the report describes recent road safety developments in these countries and compares their performance against the main road safety indicators.
Online country profiles complement this report: www.itf-oecd.org/irtad.
