Romania recorded the highest road death rate in Europe in 2024, with 78 fatalities per million inhabitants, according to new analysis by Cars Iceland. This figure is close to five times the rate in Norway, which had just 16 deaths per million inhabitants.
Cars Iceland analysed road death statistics from the European Transport Safety Council and combined them with Eurostat population figures to rank 30 European nations.
The most dangerous countries to drive in
| Rank | Country | Road deaths | Deaths per million | Year-on-year change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Romania | 1,478 | 78 | -4% |
| 2 | Bulgaria | 478 | 74 | -9% |
| 3 | Greece | 664 | 64 | +3% |
| 4 | Croatia | 239 | 62 | -13% |
| 5 | Latvia | 112 | 60 | -18% |
| 6 | Portugal | 618 | 58 | -5% |
| 7 | Hungary | 497 | 52 | +5% |
| 8 | Poland | 1,896 | 52 | +1% |
| 9 | Italy | 3,030 | 51 | 0% |
| 10 | Estonia | 69 | 50 | +16% |
Romania leads the table by a wide margin; no other nation in the study breaches even 75 deaths per million. Bulgaria is the closest at 74, while Estonia saw one of the sharpest year-on-year increases at 16%, despite recording the smallest raw total in the top ten. Greece and Hungary also moved in the wrong direction. In absolute terms, Poland and Italy have some of the continent’s highest death tolls, with France topping the continent at 3,181.
The safest countries to drive in
| Rank | Country | Road deaths | Deaths per million | Year-on-year change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Norway | 87 | 16 | -22% |
| 2 | Sweden | 213 | 20 | -7% |
| 3 | Malta | 12 | 21 | -28% |
| 4 | Denmark | 145 | 24 | -11% |
| 5 | Luxembourg | 18 | 27 | -32% |
The pattern is geographical: countries in the south and east of Europe fill all ten places at the top of the danger rankings, while three of the five safest — Norway, Sweden and Denmark — are Scandinavian. Luxembourg saw the single biggest improvement in the entire ranking, a 32% drop.
What drivers need to know
Alberto P. Carmona, co-founder of the Scandinavian Travel Group, says the safety gap is something most travellers never think about.
“The gap between Norway at 16 deaths per million and Romania at 78 is huge, but what really stands out when you are actually driving is how different the experience feels. In countries towards the top of this list, you tend to see more aggressive overtaking, less consistent use of indicators, and a bigger mix of vehicles sharing the same roads from tractors to fast-moving traffic. That unpredictability is what catches people out, especially if they are used to more structured driving environments in northern Europe.
“One of the biggest surprises for British drivers is how quickly conditions can change once you leave main roads. In places like Greece or Croatia, you can go from a well-maintained highway to a narrow, winding rural road with very little lighting in a matter of minutes. That is where a lot of incidents happen, particularly in the evening.
“Driving on holiday is a different kind of risk altogether. You are in an unfamiliar car, dealing with different road layouts and signage, and generally a bit more relaxed than you would be at home. In higher-risk countries, that can catch people out quickly, particularly on rural roads or after dark.
“There are also small rules that trip people up. In many European countries, you are expected to carry items like reflective jackets or warning triangles in the car, and not having them can lead to fines. Something as simple as a dash cam can also cause problems — they are perfectly legal in some countries, but restricted or outright banned in others like Austria, Portugal and Luxembourg because of privacy laws. Checking speed limits, drink-drive rules, or how junctions typically work locally can make a real difference. It only takes a few minutes, but it can take away a lot of the uncertainty once you are behind the wheel.”
As the summer travel season nears, official European Commission figures confirm Romania and Bulgaria reported the highest fatality rates in 2024, while Nordic countries continued to lead in safety.