Norway still has the lowest death rates in road traffic
Together with Sweden and Malta, Norway has the lowest death rates in traffic in Europe. The biggest risks are in Bulgaria and Romania, recent figures from the EU show.
While it dies an average of 44 people per. million inhabitants in the 27 EU countries, is correspondingly high for Norway at 16.
For a number of years, Norway has had the lowest risk in traffic, both measured against inhabitants and kilometers driven.
19,800 people died in traffic accidents in 2021, shows EU Commission high which came this week. That’s an increase of 1,000 or 5 percent, yet 3,000 fewer compared to the pre-corona era in 2019.
Still the best
– Although we assert ourselves well compared to other countries, the fight against traffic fatalities is job number 1. The goal is that no one should die or be seriously injured on Norwegian roads, says road director Ingrid Dahl Hovland.
The Norwegian Public Roads Administration’s own figures for the first quarter of this year come on Thursday. But everything points to the lowest first quarter figures in modern times.
Looking to Norway
– The world looks to Norway in the field of road safety. The Norwegian models with a broad work, systematic results over time and targeted initiatives based on knowledge create together with safe cars and better roads, says Hovland.
The Norwegian Public Roads Administration and a number of other traffic cases recently launched a national action safety plan for the years 2022–2025 (PDF) with 179 concrete measures for further better road safety.
Most in Romania
Denmark, Germany, Ireland, Cyprus, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Portugal and Sweden all have record low death rates in 2021.
Romania (93 killed per million), Bulgaria (81), Latvia (78), Croatia (72) and Poland (59) stand out on the other side.
Positive trend
In the EU countries, the death toll increased by five percent from 2020 to 2021. But the long-term trend is that the death toll is also declining in the EU, even though there are large differences from country to country.
Malta and Sweden come closest to Norway with 17 and 18 killed per. million inhabitants, lord Romania tops with its 93.
Compared with the «normal year» 2019, the decline is greatest in Denmark, Belgium, Portugal, Poland and Lithuania. Latvia, Slovenia and Finland have had a less fortunate development, but an increase in fatalities up to 12 percent.
This is the list according to the EU Commission’s high:
1 | Norway* | 16 |
2 | Malta | 17 |
3 | Sweden | 18 |
4 | Denmark | 23 |
4 | Switzerland * | 23 |
6 | ISLAND* | 24 |
7 | Ireland | 27 |
8 | The Netherlands | 28 |
9 | Germany | 31 |
10 | Spain | 32 |
11 | Luxembourg | 38 |
12 | Austria | 40 |
12 | Finland | 40 |
14 | Estonia | 41 |
15 | Belgium | 43 |
EU-27 average | 44 | |
16 | France | 45 |
17 | Slovakia | 47 |
18 | Italy | 48 |
19 | Cyprus | 49 |
20 | Czech Republic | 50 |
20 | Portugal | 50 |
22 | Lithuania | 52 |
23 | Slovenia | 54 |
24 | Hungary | 56 |
25 | Greece | 57 |
26 | Poland | 59 |
27 | Croatia | 72 |
28 | Latvia | 78 |
29 | Bulgaria | 81 |
30 | Romania | 93 |
The list contains 27 EU countries, as well as the three EEA countries Norway, Iceland and Switzerland. The European Commission is the source.