Recently, we completed a road trip to south Europe as we have done a few times before, but this time following a new route. Perhaps the route was why I paid closer attention to the driving culture and behavior on the road in each region. Driving along French countryroads and highways felt pleasant with traffic flowing in organized manner. After crossing the Pyrenees mountains, driving habits in Spain seemed to be more aggressive, but it was nothing compared to Portugal that was the next country along our route. Long, heavy trucks sped across villages faster than any Tesla or Toyota driver would dare. Dangerous speeding on highways and national roads was frequent. At times, it seemed that traffic rules didn’t exist in Portugal.
Perhaps it was only my personal experience? Would any facts support these observations made on this road trip? Fortunately, I discovered some answers in the EU Commission statistics department.
One way the EU measures road safety in each country is traffic-related deaths per million inhabitants. At the European level the good news is that deaths decreased 3% in 2025 compared to 2024. Taking into account that the number of vehicles has increased during the same period, the trend is truly positive.
What about countries? Where drivers tend to behave? Here is the top 10 safest countries in Europe for a road trip according to the EU Commission statistics.
- Sweden, 20 road deaths per million inhabitants in 2025
- Norway 20
- Iceland 21
- Denmark 23
- Switzerland 24
- Estonia 31
- Finland 33
- Ireland 34
- Germany 34
- Netherlands 35
Countries in northern and central Europe dominate the top 10, which is quite an achievement because snow and ice make driving conditions in many of these countries quite challenging during winter.
Rural roads continue to be the most dangerous types of roads (53% of fatalities) in Europe, whereas motorways are the safest (8% of road deaths). 38% of fatalities occur in urban areas.
Countries in positions 11 – 23:
- Spain 36
- Malta 37
- Slovakia 42
- EU average 43
- Austria 43
- Czech Republic 43
- Slovenia 44
- Poland 45
- Cyprus 46
- Lithuania 48
- Hungary 48
- France 49
- Italy 49
- Greece 50
Top 5 most dangerous countries in Europe as measured by traffic related fatalities per million inhabitants:
- Portugal 55
- Latvia 63
- Croatia 67
- Romania 68
- Bulgaria 71
The largest group of all fatalities was car drivers and passengers (44%), whereas riders of motorbikes and mopeds accounted for 21%, pedestrians 18%, and cyclists 9%.
In urban areas, pedestrians, cyclists and riders of powered two-wheel vehicles represent 70% of total road deaths.
The EU statistics didn’t provide 2025 data for Belgium and Luxembourg.