The island sank from 6 to 13th in the European Union in terms of the number of victims in traffic accidents. At the same time, the country showed a decrease in injuries as a result of an accident by 51%.
These data are given in the annual report of the European Council for Road Safety in 27 EU states, Switzerland, Israel, Norway, Serbia and the UK.
According to the report, in 2024, 20 017 people died on the EU roads. The decrease in the number of victims was very insignificant compared to 2023 - by only 2%. In 2019, the European Union set the goal of reducing the number of deadly accidents by 50% by 2030, for this, an annual decrease in the indicator should be at least 6.1%.
42 dead per million population
In Cyprus, for 2024, a significant increase in mortality on the roads was recorded - it increased by 21%. This is the second largest indicator in the community.
Compared to 2019, when the target was set for 2030, in 2024, in 25 of 32 countries, a decrease in mortality on the roads was recorded. Lithuania and Poland are leading, the indicator of which decreased by 35%. In Cyprus, mortality on roads during this time decreased by 21%. On average, in 27 EU countries, a 12%reduction was recorded, which is much less than 27%necessary to achieve the target.
If a decrease in mortality on roads in the EU over the past decade corresponded to the target indicator for 2030, then 49,590 lives would be saved. The European Road Safety Council calculated that the additional economic benefit that countries will receive from a decrease in the number of deadly accidents will be 184 billion euros.
Mortality on roads in relation to the population for Cyprus was 42 (the number of those killed by 1 million population is estimated) that 45 lower than the average value in the EU. According to this indicator, Cyprus dropped from 6th place in 2023 by 13 in 2024, dividing it with Lithuania. In absolute numbers, the mortality on the roads over this period increased from 34 to 41 people.
There are much less injuries
However, Cyprus has achieved significant success in reducing injuries in an accident from 2014 to 2024 - by 51.6%, which became the highest rate in the European Union. Only Cyprus and 10 other EU countries managed to reduce the number of serious injuries from 2014 to 2024.
The report also mentions the goal of the Cyprus government by 2030 to ensure one hundred percent compliance with the established optimal time for arrival of ambulance at the scene of an accident.
Norway became the country with the safest roads. The European Road Safety Council called this country "a model of visionary strategy and correct actions." There are 16 dead in an accident for a million inhabitants.
The text is prepared based on the materials "Filelefteros"
