European reduction in road deaths slows down in 2011

 The latest PIN annual report was presented during the 6th annual PIN Conference in Brussels on 20 June.  The report reveals that 2011 was a mixed year in terms of developments in road safety in Europe. While several

countries continued the positive trends of 2010 and 2009, others, including Estonia, Cyprus, Malta and road safety role models like Sweden, Germany and Finland, saw increases in the number of road deaths.5 During the last year good progress was observed in Norway with a 20% drop in road deaths, Latvia with 18%, Spain with 17% as well as Romania and Bulgaria with 15% each. “By improving road safety impressive societal savings can be achieved. If the road deaths in the EU had been reduced by 6.7% in 2011 [the percentage needed to move towards the EU target through constant progress] instead of 3%, the value of the additional savings would have been almost 2.1 billion Euros.

The ETSC’s Road Safety Performance Index is a new policy instrument to help EU Member States in improving road safety. By comparing Member States’ performance, it serves to identify and promote Best Practice in Europe and bring about the kind of political leadership that is needed to create what citizens deserve – a road transport system that offers a maximum of safety.

Cross-country comparisons are published three times a year in the series of Road Safety PIN Flashes. Over the three initial years, 13 cross country comparisons on ten different areas of road safety have been presented. In June each year a PIN Report is launched at the PIN Annual Conference.