EUROPEAN
Next steps towards Vision Zero - EU road safety policy framework (2021-2030)
In the “Europe on the move” package in May 2018, the European Commission put forward a new approach to EU road safety policy, along with a medium term strategic action plan. The purpose of this staff working document is to set out how the new policy is being translated into action.
Road Safety Priorities for the EU (2024-2029)
At European level, there is an urgent need for strong leadership and action on road safety to get things back on track. This briefing will set out ETSC’s priorities ahead of the start of the new mandate. It is vital that the newly appointed decision-makers in the European Parliament and Commission hit the ground running and identify areas for action quickly.
Annual statistical report on road safety in the EU (2026)
In 2024, road crashes in the Member States of the European Union claimed about 19,932 lives and left more than 1.15 million people injured. This report presents a wide range of statistical tables containing road safety data from the CARE database for the 27 EU Member States and the four EFTA countries.
ETSC 20th Annual Road Safety Performance Index - PIN Report (2026)
In 2026 the ETSC Road Safety Performance Index (PIN) marks its twentieth anniversary. Over two decades it has become one of Europe’s most influential road safety tools, comparing performance across 31 participating countries. This 20th annual report assesses progress towards the EU’s goal of halving both road deaths and serious injuries between 2020 and 2030, and reviews the recent EU policy developments that will help determine whether that goal is met.
ETSC Improving the safety of cycling in Europe (2026)
On 21 April 2026, the European Transport Safety Council (ETSC) published a new PIN Flash 50 report titled “Improving the safety of cycling in Europe”. The report analyses recent trends in cyclist fatalities and serious injuries across Europe and identifies the main risk factors affecting cyclists on European roads.
European status report on road safety (2025)
The European status report on road safety 2025, reports regional specific data collected from WHO Member States for the Global status report on road safety 2023, along with data from the third E-Survey on Road Safety Attitudes (ESRA3), to assess the 2021 status of road safety in the WHO European Region and on progress towards the objectives of the Decade of Action for Road Safety 2021–2030.
European declaration on cycling (2024)
The European declaration on cycling, signed in 2024 by the European Parliament, Council and Commission, includes clear commitments, such as safe and coherent cycling networks in cities, better links with public transport and secure parking spaces and access to recharging points for e-bikes.
Reaching EU road safety objectives: Time to move up a gear (2024)
This European Court of Auditors special report assesses the EU’s progress towards its road safety objectives for 2030 and 2050 and the effectiveness of the Safe System approach. It examines the Commission’s actions in areas including governance, road use, vehicle and infrastructure safety, monitoring and funding, and provides recommendations to strengthen efforts towards reducing road deaths and serious injuries.
EU Strategic Action Plan on Road Safety (2023)
This report provides an overview of the EU Strategic Action Plan for Road Safety 2021–2030, based on the Safe System approach. It presents the EU’s road safety targets, key performance indicators and main intervention areas, including safe infrastructure, vehicle safety, safe road use, speed management and emergency response.
ERSO Road Safety Performance Indicators (2022)
This document is part of a series of 20 thematic reports on road safety. The purpose is to give road safety practitioners an overview of the most important research questions and results on the topic in question. In this report ‘road safety performance indicators’ (RSPIs) are defined as measures of the operational conditions of the road traffic system which influence its safety performance.
EU Urban Mobility Framework (2021)
Over 70% of EU citizens live in urban areas (cities, towns and suburbs) that generate 23% of all transport greenhouse gas emissions. To help the European Union reduce greenhouse gas emissions (by at least 55% by 2030 and by 90% by 2050), the Urban Mobility Framework initiative proposes measures to encourage EU Member States to develop urban transport systems that are safe, accessible, inclusive, affordable, smart, resilient, and emission-free.
EU Sustainable and Smart Mobility Strategy (2021)
The European Commission presented its ‘Sustainable and Smart Mobility Strategy’ together with an Action Plan of 82 initiatives that will guide our work for the next four years. As outlined in the European Green Deal, the result will be a 90% cut in emissions by 2050, delivered by a smart, competitive, safe, accessible and affordable transport system.
Ethics of Connected and Automated Vehicles (2020)
This report presents the work of an independent European Commission Expert Group established to advise on specific ethical issues raised by driverless mobility for road transport. The report provides recommendations on road safety, privacy, fairness, explainability and responsibility, aiming to promote a safe and responsible transition to connected and automated vehicles.
ETSC briefing short term impact COVID-19 (2020)
This PIN briefing discusses the impact of COVID-19 lockdowns on road deaths in April 2020, when most countries were in lockdown. Data were available from 25 countries and 19 saw a decrease in the number of road deaths related to the big drops in traffic volumes. Ten country examples are presented. The briefing includes recommendations at European, national and local level for ensuring a safe and sustainable path out of the crisis.
Connected Automated Driving Roadmap (2019)
The ERTRAC Connected Automated Driving Roadmap aims to provide a joint stakeholders view on the development of Connected Automated Driving in Europe. The roadmap starts with common definitions of automation levels and systems, and then identifies the challenges for the implementation of higher levels of automated driving functions. Development paths are provided for three different categories of vehicles.
Safe Road Transport Roadmap (2019)
The ERTRAC Safe Road Transport Roadmap is entitled Towards Vision Zero: Roads without Victims. The road map covers all elements of the road transport system, all road transport modes and all phases from preventive to post-crash safety.
EU Road Safety Policy Framework 2021-2030 (2019)
In June 2019, the European Commission adopted the EU Road Safety Policy Framework 2021-2030 – next steps towards ‘Vision Zero’. This Commission Staff Working Document elaborates on the EU Strategic Action Plan on Road Safety published in May 2018 , aiming to set out how the new policy is being translated into action. The policy framework is based on the Safe System approach, and presents among others a first set of key performance indicators.
Europe on the move (2018)
Europe on the Move Sustainable Mobility for Europe: Safe, Connected and Clean (COM(2018) 293 final) is the third and last “Europe on the Move” package and delivers on the new industrial policy strategy of September 2017. It is designed to complete the process of enabling Europe to reap the full benefits of the modernisation of mobility. To do so, it is essential that tomorrow’s mobility system is safe, clean and efficient for all EU citizens.
Strategic Action Plan on Road Safety (2018)
The EU Strategic Action Plan on Road Safety is an Annex to European Commission communication, COM(2018) 293 final Europe on the move: Sustainable Mobility for Europe: safe, connected and clean. It outlines specific actions envisaged under the current Commission mandate, i.e. until end Q3 2019. The actions are set out with a specific target time frame. It cannot of course prejudge action for the next Commission but instead sets out additional envisaged actions for the post 2019 period indicatively.
Valetta Declaration on Road Safety (2017)
The Transport Ministers of the Member States of the European Union, meeting in Valletta, Malta on 29 March 2017, agreed on what became known as the Valetta Declaration on Road Safety and endorsed by the Council of the European Union. The Transport Ministers reconfirm their commitment to improving road safety and call upon Member States and the European Commission to undertake action.
Towards a European road safety area: policy orientations on road safety 2011-2020 (2010)
This EU document aimes to provide a general governance framework and challenging objectives which should guide national or local strategies. The proposed policy orientations took fully account of the results obtained during the 3rd road safety action programme 2001-2010, showing that in spite of important progress made on road safety, efforts needed to be continued and further strengthened.
INTERNATIONAL
Global Plan for the Decade of Action for Road Safety 2021-2030
This Global Plan has been developed by the World Health Organization and the United Nations Regional Commissions, in cooperation with partners in the United Nations Road Safety Collaboration and other stakeholders, as a guiding document to support the implementation of the Decade of Action for Road Safety 2021–2030 and its objectives.
IRTAD Road Safety Annual Report (2025)
The Road Safety Annual Report 2025 provides an overview of road safety performance for the 40 countries participating in the International Transport Forum’s permanent Working Group on road safety, known as the IRTAD Group. 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.
PIARC Road Safety Manual - Fourth Edition (2025)
The fourth edition of PIARC RSM is designed to help countries at every stage of infrastructure development to fulfill road safety objectives. It includes new thinking on road safety and offers a clear argument on why adopting a Safe System approach is crucial for your country.
Safer Micromobility: Technical Background Report (2024)
In 2020, the ITF published “Safe Micromobility”, a report assessing the safety of micromobility and new mobility services. In the four years since publication, much has changed in terms of the evidence base regarding the safety of micromobility. This report summarises an analysis of the current evidence base of the most recent micromobility safety trends and risks.
Global status report on road safety (2023)
The WHO’s “Global status report on road safety 2023″ shows that the number of annual road traffic deaths has fallen slightly to 1.19 million. The report shows that efforts to improve road safety are having an impact, and that significant reductions in road traffic deaths can be made if proven measures are applied.
The Safe System Approach in Action (2022)
This report provides experience-based guidance on implementing the Safe System approach. The report also presents lessons from 17 case studies of road-safety interventions with a Safe System component. The case studies reveal no single recipe for successful implementation. Instead, they point to a variety of approaches conditioned by national and local contexts, and the crucial role of robust institutional governance and co-operation between partners.
Guide for Road Safety Interventions: Evidence of What Works and What Does Not Work (2021)
This World Bank guide provides evidence-based guidance on road safety interventions within the Safe System approach. It examines measures across road safety management, infrastructure, speed, vehicles, road users and post-crash care, highlighting interventions that have demonstrated effectiveness in reducing fatal and serious injuries and those for which evidence of safety benefits is limited.
Monitoring Progress in Urban Road Safety (2020)
This ITF/OECD-report tracks the progress in reducing the number of road traffic fatalities and serious injuries in cities since 2010. It presents traffic safety data collected in 48 cities. It compares urban with national road safety trends and provides road safety indicators for different road user groups.
UNRSC Towards the 12 Voluntary Global Targets for Road Safety (2020)
This document, prepared by several members of the United Nations Road Safety Collaboration (UNRSC), acts as a guide to assist countries to monitor and report on the 12 Voluntary Global Road Safety Performance Targets, which was published by the WHO in 2017.
Sustainable Development Goals (2015)
The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, adopted by all United Nations Member States in 2015, provides a shared blueprint for peace and prosperity for people and the planet, now and into the future. At its heart are the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which are an urgent call for action by all countries – developed and developing – in a global partnership. SDG3 and SDG11 both have targets related to safe (road) transport.
Towards Zero Ambitious Road Safety Targets and the Safe System Approach (2015)
The report reviews the state of the art in improving road safety performance and examines the role of targets in raising the level of ambition and achieving effective implementation of road safety policies. It highlights the institutional management changes required in many countries to implement effective interventions and underlines the economic case for road safety investment.
Road Safety Management Capacity Review Guidelines (2013)
The Road Safety Management Capacity Reviews and Safe System Projects Guidelines have been designed to assist country road safety professionals, World Bank and regional development bank staff, international consultants, community groups, private sector organizations, and all other global, regional and country partners and stakeholders to conduct capacity reviews and prepare follow-up road safety projects in a variety of low and middle-income countries and investment settings.
Implementing the Recommendations of the World Report on Road Traffic Injury Prevention (2009)
Following the WHO’s World report on road traffic injury prevention from 2004, this report provides guidelines for countries for conducting Road Safety Management Capacity Reviews and the specifications of Lead Agency reforms, investment strategies and safe system projects. As such the report provides a pragmatic approach designed to overcome institutional capacity barriers and achieve sustainable results.
World report on road traffic injury prevention
In 2004, worldwide, an estimated 1.2 million people were killed in road crashes each year and as many as 50 million were injured. Projections indicate that these figures will increase by about 65% over the next 20 years unless there is new commitment to prevention. This joint WHO and World Bank report underscores their concern that unsafe road traffic systems are seriously harming global public health and development. It contends that the level of road traffic injury is unacceptable and that it is largely avoidable.