Cyprus road deaths down 18% last year

There were 20,678 deaths on EU roads in 2022, a collective increase of 4% compared to 2021, according to the 17th Annual Road Safety Performance Index (PIN Report), released Tuesday, by the European Transport Safety Council (ETSC). Out of the 32 countries monitored by the PIN programme, only 13 registered a decrease in road deaths in 2022, compared to 2021. Slovenia was ranked first with a 25% reduction, followed by Latvia with 23% and Lithuania and Cyprus with 18%.

Road deaths increased in 19 PIN countries between 2021 and 2022.

In terms of road deaths in proportion to population, Cyprus climbed in 2022 to 9th place among the 27 EU member states, from 17th place in 2021, with a large reduction in road deaths, from 45 to 37.

In 2022, Cyprus recorded a road death rate per population of 41, while the EU27 rate was 46.

The reduction in serious road injuries in the EU27 in the decade 2012-2022 was very poor. A reduction of only 14% was recorded, while the corresponding reduction in deaths was 22%.

It is pointed out, however, that Cyprus has recorded significant success in reducing serious injuries from 2012 to 2022, with a rate of 54.1%, which was the 3rd highest in the EU27, after those of Greece and Romania.

The EU has set a target to halve the number of road deaths by 2030, based on their level in 2019. Road deaths in the EU27 in 2022 were reduced collectively by 9% compared to 2019. In order to make the progress needed towards the 2030 EU target, the average annual decrease of 6.1% should have resulted in a 17.2% decrease.

A total of 39,553 road deaths have been prevented in the EU over the period 2013-2022 compared with the number that would have been recorded if each Member State had continued to record the same number each year as in 2012. 40,987 more lives could have been saved if the annual reduction of 6.7% needed to reach the EU 50% reduction target in 10 years, had been reached.

Norway is the safest PIN country for road users with 21 road deaths per million inhabitants in 2022. Sweden follows Norway with 22 deaths per million inhabitants. In the EU27, the overall level of road mortality was 46 deaths per million inhabitants in 2022 compared to 54 per million in 2012.The highest mortality is in Romania and Serbia with 86 and 83 road deaths per million inhabitants respectively. In two countries – Malta and the Netherlands – road mortality is higher in 2022 than in 2012.