Romania leads ranking of road mortality in Europe over 10 years, despite decrease in serious accidents

Romania is in the first place in the European Union in terms of road mortality, according to an analysis of official data from the last 10 years made by the Road Safety Bulletin (Buletinului Siguranței Rutiere). The country recorded 77 road deaths per one million inhabitants in the period, almost double the EU average.

Data provided by the Ministry of Internal Affairs shows that there was a steady increase in minor accidents, especially among middle-aged and older drivers, between 2015 and 2024. In the same period, serious accidents among young people (0–24 years) and in the 25–44 age category were reduced by half.

As such, minor accidents among drivers over 65 years old doubled over the last 10 years, from 1,611 cases in 2015 to 3,632 in 2024, and in the 45–64 age category, they increased from 7,036 to over 10,355 cases.

The scale of the phenomenon is significantly larger because most accidents are handled directly by insurance companies based on the amicable accident report.

For example, in just the first 9 months of last year, more than 360,000 damage claims were paid under RCA policies resulting from road accidents. This number is up by 16% compared to the same period of the previous year, which confirms that the frequency of road incidents remains high.

“The decrease in serious accidents is a good sign, but the road safety problem is far from being solved. That is why the Coalition for Road Safety - CSR is making a public appeal and invites institutions, companies, and civil society to get involved in the actions within the National Road Safety Week,” CSR representatives stated.

Nationally, Romania registered 3,950 accidents in 2025, resulting in the death of 1,293 people and the serious injury of 3,125 people. Compared to the similar period of 2024, 285 fewer accidents were recorded (-6.7%), 185 fewer people died (-12.5%), and 122 fewer people were seriously injured (-3.7%).

(Photo source: Inquam Photos | George Calin)