ALARMING 9.8% INCREASE IN ROAD DEATHS IN CYPRUS IN 2025 - WHERE DOES IT RANK IN THE EU RANKING? - Filenews 23/6
Cyprus recorded a 13.5% decrease in road fatalities between 2019 and 2025, the 12th largest in the EU27, says the 20th annual Road Safety PIN Report of the European Transport Safety Council (ETSC), adding, however, that in 2025 Cyprus recorded a 9.8% increase in road fatalities.
In terms of road deaths as a proportion of population, it is reported that Cyprus fell in 2025 to 16th place among the 27 EU Member States, from 14th place in 2024, while Cyprus recorded in 2025 a road fatality index as a proportion of population of 46, with the EU27 index being 43.
In addition, it is reported that Cyprus has recorded a much better reduction in serious injuries during the period 2015-2025, with a rate of 29.2%, which was the 7th highest in the EU24.
The report published today Tuesday presents the general road safety data at the end of 2025 in the 27 Member States of the European Union (EU27), as well as in Switzerland, Norway, Serbia and the United Kingdom.
As mentioned, the Road Safety PIN program completes 20 years since its launch in 2006. Over these two decades it has become one of the most influential road safety tools, comparing the performance of the 31 countries participating in it, with the 20th annual report assessing progress towards the EU's target of reducing both road deaths and serious injuries by 50% from 2020 to 2030, and reviews recent developments in EU policies to help determine whether the target is being met.
"It is estimated that around 19,500 people died on the roads of the EU27 in 2025 and over 100,000 were seriously injured. Unfortunately, a very small decrease in deaths was recorded with only 2.3%, compared to 2024. Cyprus recorded an increase of 9.8%", it is noted.
It is added that compared to 2019, which is the base year for the European 2030 target, only 24 of the 31 countries participating in the PIN recorded a decrease in road deaths by 2025, while in the remaining 7 an increase in road deaths was recorded.
It is added that during this period only a 14.6% reduction in road deaths was recorded in the EU27, a percentage that falls far short of the 31% reduction that had to be recorded to achieve the EU's target of a 50% reduction by 2030, with Cyprus achieving a 13.5% reduction in road deaths during this period, which was the 12th largest in the EU27.
"Despite slow progress, more than 31,000 lives have been saved in the EU27 over the last decade. And if the reduction in road deaths were within the framework of the 2030 target, another 42,900 lives would be saved. The ETSC estimates the additional economic benefit that would result for European societies at € 77 billion," it is noted.
It is also noted that the EU27 recorded a 20.2% decrease in road deaths over the last decade, while Cyprus achieved a decrease of 21.1%, which is the 16th largest, while in terms of road deaths as a proportion of population, Cyprus fell in 2025 to 16th place among the 27 EU member states, from 14th place in 2024. Cyprus also recorded in 2025 a road fatality rate of 46 per population, while the EU27 index was 43.
"The reduction in serious road injuries in the decade 2015-2025 in the 24 EU Member States (EU24) that provided data was even poorer. During this period, a decrease of only 12.9% was recorded. Cyprus has recorded a much better reduction in serious injuries during this period, with a rate of 29.2%, which was the 7th highest in the EU24", it is further stated
According to the report, the annual "2026 Road Safety PIN Award" is awarded to Denmark, for its long-term progress in road safety, which reduced road fatalities by 31.7% from 2019 to 2025, which is the 2nd best performance in the EU27. Also, in 2025, Denmark ranked 3rd highest in the EU27 in terms of road deaths as a proportion of population, with a rate of 23.
"The EU is moving at two speeds in the field of road safety. Some countries are moving towards the target of a 50% reduction in road deaths and serious injuries by the end of the decade, most countries seem to be failing and the EU, as a whole, is off track. None of this is inevitable, it is a mirror of the choices made by governments," the ETSC points out.
Finally, the report lists a series of recommendations made by the ETSC to the Member States and to the European Commission.
In particular, it recommends to the Member States the adoption and implementation of the "Safe System" approach for Road Safety, by managing all elements of the road transport system in an integrated way and adopting an approach of shared overall responsibility and accountability, between the system designers and road users.
It also recommends seeking to accelerate progress by all available means, including the implementation of demonstrably effective enforcement strategies, in line with the European Commission Enforcement Recommendation (2004/345), as well as the availability of adequate public funding, allowing for the definition of objective-oriented measures and the establishment of procedures for funding and incentives at regional and local level. Use the data collected to design and update relevant policies.
In addition, it recommends accelerating the collection of data on the Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) included in the EU Road Safety Policy Framework 2021-2030 and setting individual quantitative targets.
Accordingly, it recommends to the European Commission, following the adoption of the "Safe System" approach in the EU Policy Framework for Road Safety 2021-2030, to ensure that this approach is implemented in an integrated way, in coordination with all Directorates-General (DGs) of the European Commission, as well as the creation of a new European Authority to support safe, intelligent and sustainable transport.
Regarding the implementation of the EU Policy Framework 2021-2030 for Road Safety, it recommends the multiplication of actions for road safety in the light of the conclusions of the interim report evaluating the implementation of the framework and the continuation of the support of Member States in the collection of harmonised data on Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and serious injuries with the MAIS3+ hospital classification.
The report recommends encouraging Member States, through a formal European recommendation, to set safe speed limits, in line with the 'Safe System' approach, for the different categories of roads, such as 30 km/h for urban roads, 70 km/h for provincial roads without a dividing island and a maximum speed of 120 km/h or less on motorways; as well as the implementation of best law enforcement (policing) practices.
Cyprus recorded a 13.5% decrease in road fatalities between 2019 and 2025, the 12th largest in the EU27, says the 20th annual Road Safety PIN Report of the European Transport Safety Council (ETSC), adding, however, that in 2025 Cyprus recorded a 9.8% increase in road fatalities.
In terms of road deaths as a proportion of population, it is reported that Cyprus fell in 2025 to 16th place among the 27 EU Member States, from 14th place in 2024, while Cyprus recorded in 2025 a road fatality index as a proportion of population of 46, with the EU27 index being 43.
In addition, it is reported that Cyprus has recorded a much better reduction in serious injuries during the period 2015-2025, with a rate of 29.2%, which was the 7th highest in the EU24.
The report published today Tuesday presents the general road safety data at the end of 2025 in the 27 Member States of the European Union (EU27), as well as in Switzerland, Norway, Serbia and the United Kingdom.
As mentioned, the Road Safety PIN program completes 20 years since its launch in 2006. Over these two decades it has become one of the most influential road safety tools, comparing the performance of the 31 countries participating in it, with the 20th annual report assessing progress towards the EU's target of reducing both road deaths and serious injuries by 50% from 2020 to 2030, and reviews recent developments in EU policies to help determine whether the target is being met.
"It is estimated that around 19,500 people died on the roads of the EU27 in 2025 and over 100,000 were seriously injured. Unfortunately, a very small decrease in deaths was recorded with only 2.3%, compared to 2024. Cyprus recorded an increase of 9.8%", it is noted.
It is added that compared to 2019, which is the base year for the European 2030 target, only 24 of the 31 countries participating in the PIN recorded a decrease in road deaths by 2025, while in the remaining 7 an increase in road deaths was recorded.
It is added that during this period only a 14.6% reduction in road deaths was recorded in the EU27, a percentage that falls far short of the 31% reduction that had to be recorded to achieve the EU's target of a 50% reduction by 2030, with Cyprus achieving a 13.5% reduction in road deaths during this period, which was the 12th largest in the EU27.
"Despite slow progress, more than 31,000 lives have been saved in the EU27 over the last decade. And if the reduction in road deaths were within the framework of the 2030 target, another 42,900 lives would be saved. The ETSC estimates the additional economic benefit that would result for European societies at € 77 billion," it is noted.
It is also noted that the EU27 recorded a 20.2% decrease in road deaths over the last decade, while Cyprus achieved a decrease of 21.1%, which is the 16th largest, while in terms of road deaths as a proportion of population, Cyprus fell in 2025 to 16th place among the 27 EU member states, from 14th place in 2024. Cyprus also recorded in 2025 a road fatality rate of 46 per population, while the EU27 index was 43.
"The reduction in serious road injuries in the decade 2015-2025 in the 24 EU Member States (EU24) that provided data was even poorer. During this period, a decrease of only 12.9% was recorded. Cyprus has recorded a much better reduction in serious injuries during this period, with a rate of 29.2%, which was the 7th highest in the EU24", it is further stated
According to the report, the annual "2026 Road Safety PIN Award" is awarded to Denmark, for its long-term progress in road safety, which reduced road fatalities by 31.7% from 2019 to 2025, which is the 2nd best performance in the EU27. Also, in 2025, Denmark ranked 3rd highest in the EU27 in terms of road deaths as a proportion of population, with a rate of 23.
"The EU is moving at two speeds in the field of road safety. Some countries are moving towards the target of a 50% reduction in road deaths and serious injuries by the end of the decade, most countries seem to be failing and the EU, as a whole, is off track. None of this is inevitable, it is a mirror of the choices made by governments," the ETSC points out.
Finally, the report lists a series of recommendations made by the ETSC to the Member States and to the European Commission.
In particular, it recommends to the Member States the adoption and implementation of the "Safe System" approach for Road Safety, by managing all elements of the road transport system in an integrated way and adopting an approach of shared overall responsibility and accountability, between the system designers and road users.
It also recommends seeking to accelerate progress by all available means, including the implementation of demonstrably effective enforcement strategies, in line with the European Commission Enforcement Recommendation (2004/345), as well as the availability of adequate public funding, allowing for the definition of objective-oriented measures and the establishment of procedures for funding and incentives at regional and local level. Use the data collected to design and update relevant policies.
In addition, it recommends accelerating the collection of data on the Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) included in the EU Road Safety Policy Framework 2021-2030 and setting individual quantitative targets.
Accordingly, it recommends to the European Commission, following the adoption of the "Safe System" approach in the EU Policy Framework for Road Safety 2021-2030, to ensure that this approach is implemented in an integrated way, in coordination with all Directorates-General (DGs) of the European Commission, as well as the creation of a new European Authority to support safe, intelligent and sustainable transport.
Regarding the implementation of the EU Policy Framework 2021-2030 for Road Safety, it recommends the multiplication of actions for road safety in the light of the conclusions of the interim report evaluating the implementation of the framework and the continuation of the support of Member States in the collection of harmonised data on Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and serious injuries with the MAIS3+ hospital classification.
The report recommends encouraging Member States, through a formal European recommendation, to set safe speed limits, in line with the 'Safe System' approach, for the different categories of roads, such as 30 km/h for urban roads, 70 km/h for provincial roads without a dividing island and a maximum speed of 120 km/h or less on motorways; as well as the implementation of best law enforcement (policing) practices.
