UK roads second safest in Europe

Date: Thursday 16 July 2020

---

The UK has the second safest roads in Europe, behind only Sweden.

Figures from the European Automobile Manufacturers Association (ACEA) have found there are 28 deaths per million people in the UK, compared to 25 fatalities in Sweden.

Across the EU the number of road traffic deaths has fallen significantly in the last two decades; there were 54,900 fatalities in 2001 compared to 25,300 in 2017.

Human error is linked to the majority of accidents, with 10-30% of incidents caused by distraction alone, however a raft of technology is being introduced to mitigate this.

These include mandatory emergency braking and driver drowsiness detection systems, speed limiters and built-in breathalysers.

ACEA commissioner Elzbieta Bienkowska said: “Every year, 25,000 people lose their lives on our roads. The vast majority of these accidents are caused by human error.

“We can and must act to change this. With the new advanced safety features that will become mandatory, we can have the same kind of impact as when the safety belts were first introduced.”

Top 10 safest countries by road deaths per million inhabitants:

1. Sweden:           25
2. UK:                  28
3. Denmark:         30
4. Netherlands:     31
5. Ireland:            33
6. Estonia:            36
=7. Germany:       39
=7. Spain:            39
9. Malta:               41
10. Luxembourg:   42

---