New research has revealed the most dangerous European countries to drive in, with Romania coming out on top.

The study by Vignetteswitzerland.com analysed the latest data from the European Transport Safety Council.

It used this to see which countries had the highest road deaths per million inhabitants.

Dangerous roads

Romania is statistically the most dangerous country to drive in in Europe.

2022 shows that the country had 85.81 deaths per million inhabitants, the highest of any country in the study.

However, this is a 10.26% drop from 2012, which saw 95.62 deaths per million inhabitants.

Serbia comes second on the list, with the south-eastern European country coming in with 82.65 road deaths per million inhabitants.

Compared to 2012 data, this is a drop of 13.01% from when the country had 95.01 road deaths per million inhabitants.

Coming in third place is the Balkan nation Bulgaria, which comes in with 77.64 road deaths per million inhabitants.

It has the most minor change in road deaths out of the top ten, only seeing a drop of 6.02% since 2012, with 82.62 road deaths per million inhabitants.

Croatia takes fourth place on the list, with 71.20 road deaths per million inhabitants in the 2022 data. This is a 22.53% drop from 2012 when the country had 91.91 road deaths per million inhabitants.

Rounding out the top five is Portugal, which comes in with 62.30 road deaths per million inhabitants. This is an 8.53% drop from the 2012 data, which had 68.11 road deaths per million inhabitants.

 

Europe’s most dangerous driving countries 

Rank Country Road deaths per mln inhabitants (2012) Road deaths per mln inhabitants (2022) Percentage change 2012-2022
1 Romania 95.62 85.81 -10.26%
2 Serbia 95.01 82.65 -13.01%
3 Bulgaria 82.62 77.64 -6.02%
4 Croatia 91.91 71.20 -22.53%
5 Portugal 68.11 62.30 -8.53%
6 Greece 87.51 60.71 -30.63%
7 Latvia 86.69 60.24 -30.51%
8 Luxembourg 64.78 55.78 -13.89%
9 Hungary 60.76 55.22 -9.12%
10 Italy 61.71 53.70 -12.97%

 

Driver friendly

The study also found that Norway is statistically the safest country to drive in in Europe.

2022 shows that the country only had 21.38 deaths per million inhabitants, the lowest of any European country.

Compared to 2012 data, this is a 26.48% drop from across the decade, with 2012 having 29.08 deaths per million inhabitants.

Sweden comes second on the list of safest countries, with just 21.72 road deaths per million inhabitants.

Looking at 2012 data, this is a drop of 27.74% from when the country had 30.05 road deaths per million inhabitants.

Coming in third place is the United Kingdom, which comes in with 25.89 road deaths per million inhabitants.

The change in road deaths is less significant than other entries on the list, with a drop of just 9.51% from 2012, where road deaths sat at 28.61 per million inhabitants.

Denmark takes fourth place, with 26.22 road deaths per million inhabitants in the 2022 data. This is a 12.38% drop from 2012 when the country had 29.93 road deaths per million inhabitants.

Rounding out the top five is Switzerland, which comes in with 27.58 road deaths per million inhabitants. This is a 35.29% drop from the 2012 data, the most of the top ten safest countries, with 42.62 road deaths per million inhabitants. 

Safest European countries to drive in 

Rank Country Road deaths per mln inhabitants (2012) Road deaths per mln inhabitants (2022) Percentage change 2012-2022
1 Norway 29.08 21.38 -26.48%
2 Sweden 30.05 21.72 -27.74%
3 United Kingdom 28.61 25.89 -9.51%
4 Denmark 29.93 26.22 -12.38%
5 Switzerland 42.62 27.58 -35.29%
6 Republic of Ireland 35.57 30.83 -13.32%
7 Germany 44.00 33.35 -24.20%
8 Finland 47.21 34.43 -27.08%
9 Israel 37.82 36.61 -3.18%
10 Spain 41.19 37.08 -9.98%

 

Forewarned, forearmed

Commenting on the findings, M. E.Wijnmalen, CEO of Vignetteswitzerland.com, said: “With how connected Europe is, and how easy it is to travel from one country into another, it’s important to keep knowledge of the driving conditions in each country you travel to. Many factors can affect these conditions, such as road quality, driving laws or even changes in speed limits that can influence the risk you run of simply just being on the road.”

European Transport Safety Council

National road death statistics provided by the PIN panellists for each country, completed with Eurostat for population data

Rank Country Road deaths per mln inhabitants (2012) Road deaths per mln inhabitants (2022) Percentage change 2012-2022
1 Romania 95.62 85.81 -10.26%
2 Serbia 95.01 82.65 -13.01%
3 Bulgaria 82.62 77.64 -6.02%
4 Croatia 91.91 71.20 -22.53%
5 Portugal 68.11 62.30 -8.53%
6 Greece 87.51 60.71 -30.63%
7 Latvia 86.69 60.24 -30.51%
8 Luxembourg 64.78 55.78 -13.89%
9 Hungary 60.76 55.22 -9.12%
10 Italy 61.71 53.70 -12.97%
11 Poland 92.66 50.35 -45.66%
12 Czech Republic 70.63 50.11 -29.05%
13 Malta 21.56 49.91 131.52%
14 France 57.61 48.05 -16.59%
15 Slovakia 54.77 44.90 -18.03%
16 Belarus 74.54 44.85 -39.84%
17 Lithuania 100.41 42.77 -57.41%
18 Netherlands 38.85 41.90 7.84%
19 Austria 62.89 41.21 -34.48%
20 Cyprus 59.16 40.90 -30.87%
21 Slovenia 63.25 40.34 -36.22%
22 Estonia 64.94 37.54 -42.19%
23 Spain 41.19 37.08 -9.98%
24 Israel 37.82 36.61 -3.18%
25 Finland 47.21 34.43 -27.08%
26 Germany 44.00 33.35 -24.20%
27 Republic of Ireland 35.57 30.83 -13.32%
28 Switzerland 42.62 27.58 -35.29%
29 Denmark 29.93 26.22 -12.38%
30 United Kingdom 28.61 25.89 -9.51%
31 Sweden 30.05 21.72 -27.74%
32 Norway 29.08 21.38 -26.48%