EC: Bulgaria had second-highest road death rate in EU in 2024 – preliminary data
Bulgaria had the second-highest road death rate in the European Union in 2024, the European Commission (EC) said on March 18, citing preliminary data.
Bulgaria’s road death rate in 2024 was 74 per million population.
This is a nine per cent decrease compared with 2023, and a 24 per cent decrease compared with 2019, according to the EC.
The EU’s highest road death rate in 2024 was in Romania, 77 per million population, a decrease of four per cent compared with 2023 and a decrease of 21 per cent compared with 2019.
The EC said that about 9800 people were killed in road crashes in the EU last year, a slight three per cent drop compared to 2023. It is the equivalent to 600 fewer lives lost.
“Even if road fatalities decreased more significantly in 2024 than they did in 2023, the overall pace of improvement remains too slow, and most Member States are not on track to meet the EU’s goal of halving road deaths by 2030,” the EC said.
In March 2023, to strengthen its commitment to road safety, the Commission introduced a package of proposals to improve road safety, including updated driving licence requirements and cross-border enforcement, and will soon adopt new roadworthiness legislation to reduce unsafe vehicles on EU roads.
Road Safety progress across the EU remains uneven, with some countries making significant strides while others struggle to reduce fatalities, the EC said.
Over the past five years, Greece, Spain, France, and Italy have seen only modest declines in road deaths, while Ireland and Estonia have experienced an increase – although annual fluctuations in smaller countries tend to be more pronounced.
“In contrast, Bulgaria, Denmark, Lithuania, Poland, and Slovenia are making strong progress toward the 50 per cent reduction target,” the EC said.
Sweden and Denmark remain the safest countries in terms of road safety, with low fatality rates of 20 and 24 deaths per million inhabitants, respectively.
“Meanwhile, Romania (77/million) and Bulgaria (74/million), which still have some of the highest fatality rates, have made significant progress in reducing road deaths, with declines of over 20 per cent since 2019. The EU average is 44 road deaths per million inhabitants.”
Rural roads continue to pose the greatest risk, with 52 per cent of fatalities occurring on these roads.
The majority of road deaths (77 per cent) involve men, while older adults (65+) and young people (18-24) are particularly vulnerable road users.
In terms of road user type, car occupants account for the largest share of fatalities, followed by motorcyclists (20 per cent), pedestrians (18 per cent), and cyclists (10 per cent).
Vulnerable road users, including pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists, make up nearly 70 per cent of urban fatalities, highlighting the urgent need for improved safety measures to protect them, the EC said.
(Photo: Petr Pavel/ freeimages.com)
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