site.btaRoad Fatality Rate in Bulgaria Remains Much Higher than EU Average – European Commission

Some EU countries including Bulgaria, Romania and Greece still record significantly higher road fatality rates than the EU average highlighting the need for more action in these Member States, the European Commission says in a report presented on Monday.

In 2024, Bulgaria had 74 road fatalities per million population compared with an average of 45 in the EU. In 2019, the figures were, respectively, 90 and 51.

On a positive note, Bulgaria is among a handful of Member States (along with Belgium, Denmark, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, and Slovenia) which are currently on track to meet the 50% road fatality reduction target for 2030, the report says.

EU-wide, road deaths decreased by 12% between 2019 and 2024, but this improvement masks considerable differences among Member States.

In 2024, a total of 19,900 people were killed in road crashes in the EU. This is 440 fewer lives lost than in 2023 – a 2% decrease. Given the rise in the number of vehicles per person and in the number of kilometres driven, this is a significant achievement but it also highlights the need for sustained efforts at all levels, the European Commission says.

The data show that every year, EU roads claim nearly 20,000 lives, and 100,000 individuals sustain injuries on the roads that fundamentally alter the course of their life.

In monetary terms, the cost of road crashes in the bloc has been estimated at 2% of GDP annually. Road safety should be a pillar of the EU’s economic competitiveness as it directly influences the efficient movement of goods and labour and the operational costs of businesses across all sectors, according to the report.

European automotive manufacturers and their supplier networks are at the forefront of developing advanced safety technologies. The EU Road Safety Policy Framework 2021-2030 has reiterated the shared goals to halve road deaths and serious injuries by 2030 and to achieve "Vision Zero" – to come close to eliminating road deaths by 2050, the Commission says.

The report notes in conclusion that road safety challenges are becoming more complex, influenced by demographic change, technological transformation, climate change and shifting mobility patterns.