ZAGREB, April 15, 2018 - The European Union is no closer to its goal of halving the number of road fatalities by 2020, as their number in 2017 was only slightly lower than the previous year.
Last year, 25,300 people died in road accidents, about 300 fewer than in 2016. This, however, is considerable progress compared to 2010 when 31,000 people were killed. In addition, 135,000 people were injured in traffic accidents in 2017, including pedestrians and cyclists, according to data released by the European Commission.
"Behind these figures are as many stories of grief and pain," EU Transport Commissioner Violeta Bulc said. "I believe that the EU can do more to better protect Europeans."
In the EU, roads are the safest in Sweden and the United Kingdom, with fewer than 30 deaths per million inhabitants. On the other end of the spectrum are Bulgaria and Romania with more than 90 road fatalities per million inhabitants.
According to figures from the Croatian Ministry of the Interior, 331 people were killed in road accidents in Croatia in 2017, about 78 per million inhabitants. By comparison, 307 died in 2016.
The EU average is 49 deaths per million inhabitants.
The European Commission has little influence on road safety because the issue falls within the competence of national authorities. However, it is considering tightening rules on vehicle safety and the use of new technologies to reduce drivers' errors.
