Road fatalities in Greece in 2025 presented a significant decrease (21.1%) compared to 2024 figures, according to the provisional ELSTAT and Traffic Police data. This is the result of the intensification of enforcement of helmet wearing and drink-and-drive by the Police together with the new Road Traffic Code in Greece (voted in June and in force since September) which led to an astonishing improvement of driver behaviour and consequently to this very significant reduction or road crash fatalities.

These highly successful initiatives of the Greek Authorities are expected to lead to a record saving of 140 lives: 525 in 2025 in comparison to 665 in 2024. With these results (50 fatalities per million population), Greece is leaving the zone of lowest performance EU countries (64 fatalities per million population), and is approaching the EU average road safety performance (45 fatalities per million population) and might be ranked for the first time ever, below the 20th position in the EU.  

The WHO Mortality Database was updated in February 2025, incorporating the latest mortality and population data reported by Member States. It is a comprehensive compilation of mortality data reported annually through civil registration and vital statistics systems. The database is the leading global source for comparative epidemiological studies of mortality by cause and provides access to cause-of-death data from 1950 to the present. It is accompanied by a visualization portal that enhances accessibility, impact and relevance by allowing users to explore and export data in multiple formats. The mortality data are organized according to revisions of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD), with detailed data available from ICD-7, ICD-8, ICD-9, and ICD-10. For the purposes of road safety research, the database provides information on the number of deaths due to road traffic crashes, the road fatality rate per 100,000 population, and the percentage of road traffic crash deaths out of total deaths, enabling robust monitoring and analysis of this major public health issue.  

Road fatalities in Greece in 2024 presented a slight increase (3%) compared to 2023 figures, according to the provisional ELSTAT data, bringing Greece at the 25th position out of 27 EU countries (better only than Bulgaria and Romania). These results demonstrate that Greece is well out of track to achieve the targets set neither for 2025 (-25%) nor for 2030 (-50%) and highlight that there is an urgent need for extra effort to further improve road safety in the Greek roads, with systematic actions from the Authorities and serious engagement from the society.  

The Directorate General for Mobility and Transport (DG Move) of the European Commission released the Statistical Pocketbook 2024 “EU Transport in figures”. In this Statistical Pocketbook, key road safety Tables are contained, together with several other Tables on transport statistics, providing a complete picture of current trends in transport in Europe. Data on road fatalities for the EU Member States and associate countries allow for time series comparisons and country rankings.  

According to the E-Survey of Road Users’ Safety Attitudes (ESRA3) results, 21% of car drivers report to have driven while having trouble keeping eyes open in the past 30 days. The highest self-declared rates of fatigue while driving correspond to Luxembourg (31%), while the lowest are recorded in the United Kingdom (13%).  

According to the E-Survey of Road Users’ Safety Attitudes (ESRA3) results, mobile phone use is more frequent self-declared among car drivers (28%) compared to PTW riders (21%) and cyclists (21%). Furthermore, 69% of pedestrians declare to text or check social media, while walking in the streets, while the highest rates of mobile phone use for car drivers are found in Luxembourg (41%).  

According to the E-Survey of Road Users’ Safety Attitudes (ESRA3) results, PTW riders declare to drink and drive more often (20%) compared to cyclists (17%) and car drivers (12%). The highest self-declared drinking and driving rates for PTW riders were observed in Ireland (36%), while the highest respective rates for car drivers were recorded in Luxembourg (24%).  

According to the E-Survey of Road Users’ Safety Attitudes (ESRA3) results, cyclists report higher non-helmet use rates (63%) compared to PTW riders (29%). The highest self-declared travelling without helmet rates for cyclists were recorded in the Netherlands (88%), while the highest respective rates for PTW riders were observed in Bosnia and Herzegovina (52%).  

The International Road Federation (IRF) released the 61th edition of the IRF World Road Statistics 2024 (WRS2024), with data now open to all for free through the IRF WRS Data Warehouse platform, thanks to the generous support of the TotalEnergies Foundation and Michelin Corporate Foundation. The IRF WRS 2024 continues to be the major comprehensive, universal source of statistical data on road networks, traffic and inland transport, including traffic crashes. This year the WRS 2024 includes the latest data covering years 2017 to 2022, with the active contribution of NTUA for the Greek data. It includes over 200 road and transport-sector related indicators across 11 sections, covering more than 200 countries and territories.  

According to the E-Survey of Road Users’ Safety Attitudes (ESRA3) results, car passengers in the back seat report higher non-seat belt use rates compared to car drivers.  The highest self-declared travelling without wearing seat belt rates both as car driver and as car passenger in the back seat correspond to Bosnia and Herzegovina (48% and 84% respectively), while the lowest self-declared rates of non-seatbelt use both as a car driver and as a car passenger were observed in Luxembourg (5% and 16% respectively).  

According to the E-Survey of Road Users’ Safety Attitudes (ESRA3) results, car drivers report speeding more often (61%) than PTW riders (45%). The highest self-declared speeding rates were observed in Luxembourg for car drivers and in Latvia for PTW riders, while the lowest self-declared rates of speeding for car drivers correspond to the United Kingdom (40%) and for PTW riders to France (25%).  

According to the E-Survey of Road Users’ Safety Attitudes (ESRA3) results, 21% of car drivers report to have driven while having trouble keeping eyes open in the past 30 days. Self-declared fatigue rates were higher in Asia-Oceania than in Europe and America. Moreover, the highest self-declared rates of fatigue while driving correspond to Luxembourg and Panama (31%).  

According to the E-Survey of Road Users’ Safety Attitudes (ESRA3) results, 67% of pedestrians declare to text or check social media while walking in the streets. Mobile phone use is more frequent self-declared among car drivers (31%) compared to PTW riders (23%) and cyclists (23%). Furthermore, the highest rates of mobile phone use for car drivers and cyclists are found in America (31% and 23% respectively), while Europe recorded the highest rates for pedestrians (64%) and Asia-Oceania for PTW riders (25%).  

According to the E-Survey of Road Users’ Safety Attitudes (ESRA3) results, self-declared drinking and driving rates do not differ much between regions. More precisely, PTW riders declare to drink and drive more often (19%) compared to cyclists (15%) and car drivers (12%). Moreover, the highest self-declared drinking and driving rates for PTW riders were observed in Kazakhstan (37%).  

According to the E-Survey of Road Users’ Safety Attitudes (ESRA3) results, cyclists report higher non-helmet use rates compared to PTW riders, with 60% of cyclists reporting cycling without wearing helmet at least once in the past 30 days. Furthermore, self-declared travelling without helmet rates for PTW riders are generally lower in European and American compared to Asia-Oceanian countries.  

According to the E-Survey of Road Users’ Safety Attitudes (ESRA3) results, car passengers in the back seat report higher non-seat belt use rates compared to car drivers. Furthermore, self-declared travelling without wearing seat belt rates are higher in America and Asia-Oceania than in Europe. It is remarkable that the highest self-declared travelling without wearing seat belt rate as car driver corresponds to Uzbekistan (61%) and as car passenger in the back seat to Kyrgyzstan (94%).  

According to the Ε-Survey of Road Users’ Safety Attitudes (ESRA3) results, car drivers (53%) state speed limit violations more often than PTW riders (43%). Self-declared speeding rates are higher in Europe than in America and Asia-Oceania. It is remarkable that the highest self-declared speeding rates were observed in Luxembourg for car drivers and in Latvia for PTW riders.  

According to the European Survey of Road Users’ Safety Attitudes (ESRA3) results, 52% of total car drivers state speed limit violations outside built-up areas at least once in the last 30 days. Pedestrians declare the highest rate of distraction (81%), followed by car drivers (33%), cyclists (19%) and PTW riders (16%). Remarkable is that more than 50% of car passengers and cyclists report travelling at least once in the last 30 days without seat belt or protective helmet.  

The new EU road fatalities by area and road type table of the NTUA Road Safety Observatory, based on European Commission CARE data for 2022, provides an overall view of the distribution of fatalities between the different road types. According to this table, only 9.3% of road fatalities in EU-24 occurred in motorways and 53% of road fatalities occurred on non motorway rural roads. 

The new EU road fatalities by road user type table of the NTUA Road Safety Observatory, based on European Commission CARE data for 2022, provides an overall view of the distribution of fatalities between the different road users. It can be clearly observed that car drivers are the largest road user group among road fatalities in all EU countries. Furthermore, together with car passengers, car drivers account for 53% of all fatalities. 

According to the provisional data from CARE database and European Transport Safety Council (ETSC), road fatalities in Europe in 2023 presented a slight decrease (1%) compared to 2022 figures and have decreased by 16% during the period 2013-2023, leading to 3,808 less road fatalities (2023) in comparison to 2013. Furthermore, five countries (BE, LT, LU, PL, SI) have reached reduction of more than 30% for the period 2013-2023. Since 2013, Poland has recorded the best road fatalities reduction progress among all EU countries. 

According to the Hellenic Statistical Authority (ELSTAT) road crash data for 2022, come off the road and at angle collisions are the most common crash types outside built-up areas. Moreover, pedestrian crashes, at angle collisions, side impact and rear end collisions are the most common crash types inside built-up areas. However, crash severity is almost 9 times higher outside built-up areas at pedestrian crashes. 

According to the Hellenic Statistical Authority (ELSTAT) road crashes data for 2022 in Greece, car occupants and motorcyclists account for more than half of fatalities and road crashes (69% and 78% respectively). Most car occupant fatalities occur outside built-up areas, while most motorcycle and pedestrian fatalities occur inside built-up areas. In addition, crash severity is higher outside built-up areas for all transport modes. 

According to the latest Hellenic Statistical Authority (ELSTAT) data for 2022, the majority of road crashes and fatalities occurred during daylight with clear sky, both inside and outside built-up areas. Furthermore, 20% of road fatalities occurred during night with good street lighting. However, crash severity is increased at night with no street lighting and during raining weather conditions. 

According to the Hellenic Statistical Authority (ELSTAT) data, among the 654 persons killed in Greece in 2022: 342 were outside built-up areas and 312 were inside built-up areas. Half of road fatalities occurred outside built-up areas on national roads, despite the significant amount of vehicle kilometers driven. Furthermore, more than 80% of road crashes and almost half of fatalities occurred inside built-up areas. However, crash severity is 5 times higher outside built-up areas in total. 

According to Hellenic Statistical Authority (ELSTAT) data, 654 persons were killed in Greece in 2022: 464 drivers, 78 passengers and 112 pedestrians. In 2022, male drivers accounted for 66% of all road fatalities in Greece, while male drivers aged 15-24 years old accounted for 16% of male driver fatalities. The highest fatality severity rate is observed among elderly people over 65 years old. 

According to Hellenic Statistical Authority (ELSTAT) data, 654 persons were killed in Greece in 2022: 464 drivers, 78 passengers and 112 pedestrians.  Since 2021, there is a slight increase in pedestrian fatalities, from 15% to 17% of total road fatalities. Furthermore, older pedestrians account for 61% of pedestrian fatalities, while drivers account for 81% of all road crashes. 

Basic characteristics of road fatalities in Greece for the period 2012-2022 are summarised in a comprehensive infographic prepared by the NTUA Road Safety Observatory (data source: ELSTAT). According to these time series data, a spectacular decrease in road fatalities for moped riders (-40%), in junctions inside (-42%) and outside built-up areas (-71%) was observed during the period 2012-2022.  

The new EU road fatalities interactive infographic of the NTUA Road Safety Observatory, based on European Commission CARE data for 2023, allows for performance comparisons for different types of road crashes. It is demonstrated that disaggregate data can reveal hidden road safety problems, allowing national Authorities to focus on targeted road safety countermeasures.  

Road fatalities in Greece in 2023 presented a slight decrease (5%) compared to 2022 figures, according to the provisional ELSTAT data. During the period 2013-2023, Greece presented an impressive road safety improvement in the European Union, with a decrease of 29% in road fatalities since 2013 and a decrease of serious injuries of 46%. The rate fatalities per million vehicles has decreased by 37% since 2013.  

The new EU road fatalities by age and gender  table of the NTUA Road Safety Observatory, based on European Commission CARE data for 2022, provides an overall view of the distribution of fatalities between the different age groups and genders.  It can be clearly observed that far more males than females are killed in road crashes in all EU countries. Furthermore, most road fatalities occurred within the 65+ age group, while the lowest rates are recorded for children under 15 years old. 

The European Commission with the active contribution of NTUA, SWOV and KFV has published at the European Road Safety Observatory, the Annual Statistical Report on road safety in the EU, which provides an overview of crash data for 2012 to 2022 from 27 EU Member States and the four EFTA countries. According to this Report, 52% of road traffic fatalities occurred on rural roads, versus 38% in urban areas and 9% on motorways. It was also revealed that car occupants (drivers and passengers) represented 45% of all fatalities, while pedestrians accounted for 18%, users of powered two-wheelers (motorbikes and mopeds) 19%, and cyclists 10%.    

The European Commission published preliminary figures on Road Safety in the EU, showing that around 20,400 people were killed in road crashes last year, a small 1% decrease on 2022. This represents however 2,360 fewer fatalities (-10%) compared with the pre-pandemic year 2019. It is remarkable that within urban areas, vulnerable road users (pedestrians, cyclists and users of powered two-wheelers) represent almost 70% of total fatalities, whereas EU-wide, more than 2,000 cyclists were killed in 2022. 

The World Health Organization has released a Road Safety Manual for decision-makers and practitioners concerning Speed Management. Speed has been identified as a major key risk factor in road traffic injuries, influencing both the risk of crash as well as the severity of the casualties. This second edition of the Speed Management Manual offers guidance to help decision makers and practitioners put in place the comprehensive set of laws, regulations and actions needed to save lives. Rooted in new case studies and evidence, including from low- and middle-income countries, it includes guidelines for safe speeds, ensuring safer mobility for all road users and actions to improve emergency responses to crashes.  

The Directorate General for Mobility and Transport (DG Move) of the European Commission released the Statistical Pocketbook 2023 “EU Transport in figures”. In this Statistical Pocketbook, key road safety Tables are contained, together with several other Tables on transport statistics, providing a complete picture of current trends in transport in Europe. Data on road fatalities for the EU member states and associate countries allow for time series comparisons and country rankings.  

The International Road Federation (IRF) released the 60th edition of the IRF World Road Statistics 2023 (WRS2023), with data now open to all for free through the IRF WRS Data Warehouse platform, thanks to the generous support of the TotalEnergies Foundation and Michelin Corporate Foundation. The IRF WRS 2023 continues to be the major comprehensive, universal source of statistical data on road networks, traffic and inland transport, including traffic accidents. This year the WRS 2023 includes the latest data covering years 2016 to 2021, with the active contribution of NTUA for the Greek data. It includes over 200 road and transport-sector related indicators across 11 sections, covering more than 200 countries and territories   .

Basic characteristics of road fatalities in Greece for the period 2012-2021 are summarised in a comprehensive infographic prepared by the NTUA Road Safety Observatory (data source: ELSTAT). According to these time series data, a spectacular decrease in road fatalities for pedestrians (-54%), inside(-56%) and outside built-up areas (-53%) was observed during the last decade. On the contrary, there was a large increase in the number of fatalities during daylight (+67%) and that needs to be considered.  

According to data of the Hellenic Statistical Authority, 38 Greek cities recorded zero road fatalities inside build-up areas (excluding motorways) for at least one calendar year during the decade 2012-2021. Some cities recorded zero fatalities multiple times, such as the Municipality of Vyronas (9 years) and the Municipality of Kalamaria (7 years). The interactive map shows the road fatalities inside build-up areas (excluding motorways) of cities with population above 50,000 inhabitants, which account for 27% of road fatalities in Greece. 

The new EU road fatalities interactive infographic of the NTUA Road Safety Observatory, based on European Commission CARE data for 2021, allows for performance comparisons for different types of road crashes. It is demonstrated that disaggregate data can reveal hidden road safety problems, allowing national Authorities to focus on targeted road safety countermeasures.  

The new Greek Regions interactive road fatalities Infographic of the NTUA Road Safety Observatory, based on ELSTAT data for 2021, allows for performance comparisons for different types of road crashes. It is demonstrated that disaggregate data can reveal hidden road safety issues, allowing national and local Authorities to focus on targeted road safety countermeasures.  

According to the Hellenic Statistical Authority (ELSTAT) road crashes data for 2021 in Greece, 36% of road fatalities are passenger car occupants, whereas 34% of road fatalities are power two wheelers. Most car occupant fatalities occur outside built-up areas, while most motorcycle and pedestrian fatalities occur inside built-up areas.  

According to the latest Hellenic Statistical Authority (ELSTAT) data for 2021, most road fatalities in Greece occur at daytime, 346 out of 624 total fatalities. At night, inside built-up area with good street lighting occur 125 fatalities and outside built-up area with no street lighting occur 56 fatalities.  

According to the Hellenic Statistical Authority (ELSTAT) data, among the 624 persons killed in Greece in 2021: 310 were outside built-up areas and 314 were inside built-up areas. Half of fatalities occurred in rural areas. The lowest percentage of fatalities occurs on motorways, despite the significant amount of vehicle kilometers driven.  

According to Hellenic Statistical Authority (ELSTAT) data, 624 persons were killed in Greece in 2021: 447 drivers, 82 passengers and 95 pedestrians. Males account for 81% of all road fatalities in Greece during the last decade. In 2021, there is no region with female fatality rate over 27%, while males aged 25-49 y.o. account for 33% of all road fatalities.  

According to Hellenic Statistical Authority (ELSTAT) data, 624 persons were killed in Greece in 2021: 447 drivers, 82 passengers and 95 pedestrians.  Since 2020, there is a slight increase in driver fatalities, from 68% to 72% of total road fatalities. In 2021, older pedestrians (65+) account for 44% of pedestrian fatalities and people aged 25-49 y.o. account for 37% of total fatalities.  

Road fatalities in Greece in 2022 presented a slight increase (2%) compared to 2021 figures, according to the provisional ELSTAT data. This slight increase is mainly attributed to the returning back to normal traffic from the pandemic period. During the last decade, Greece presented an impressive road safety improvement in the European Union, with a decrease of 28% in road fatalities since 2013 and a decrease of serious injuries of 48%. The rate fatalities per million vehicles has decreased by 33% since 2013.  

The European Commission published preliminary figures on Road Safety in the EU, showing that around 20,600 people were killed in road crashes last year, a 3% increase in 2021 as traffic levels recovered after the pandemic. This represents however 2,000 fewer fatalities (-10%) compared with the pre-pandemic year 2019. Remarkable is that within urban areas vulnerable road users (pedestrians, cyclists and users of powered two-wheelers) representing just under 70% of total fatalities.

The World Health Organization has released the 2nd edition of the Road Safety Manual for Powered Two- and Three-Wheeler (PTW) Safety. This 2nd edition offers guidance to help decision makers and practitioners put in place a comprehensive set of laws, regulations and actions needed to save lives. Rooted in new case studies and evidence, including from low- and middle-income countries, it includes guidelines on developing safer roads, ensuring safer mobility for all road users, vehicle safety standards, and actions to improve emergency responses to crashes. 

The Directorate General for Mobility and Transport (DG Move) of the European Commission released the Statistical Pocketbook 2022 “EU Transport in figures”. In this Statistical Pocketbook, key road safety Tables are contained, together with several other Tables on transport statistics, providing a complete picture of current trends in transport in Europe. Data on road fatalities for the EU member states and associate countries allow for time series comparisons and country rankings.  

The Hellenic Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport produced for the first time ever Road Safety Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for all key crash risk factors in Greece, with the active contribution of NTUA. The five KPIs related to road user behavior concern speeding, seatbelt use, helmet use, driving under the influence of alcohol and distraction and demonstrate the basic causes of road crashes in Greece.  These KPIs have been incorporated at the new National Road Safety Plan of Greece in order to identify key road safety problems in Greece and to determine the respective solutions, but also for the setting of the 8 road safety KPI targets for the decade (e.g. helmet wearing rate from 79% today, to 90% in 2025 and 95% in 2030). 

The International Road Federation (IRF) released the 59th edition of the IRF World Road Statistics 2022 (WRS2022), with data now open to all for free through the IRF WRS Data Warehouse platform, thanks to the generous support of the TotalEnergies Foundation and Michelin Corporate Foundation. The IRF WRS 2022 continues to be the major comprehensive, universal source of statistical data on road networks, traffic and inland transport, including traffic accidents. This year the WRS 2022 includes the latest data covering years 2015 to 2020, with the active contribution of NTUA for the Greek data. It includes over 200 road and transport-sector related indicators across 11 sections, covering more than 200 countries and territories.   

The World Health Organization has released a Road Safety Manual for decision-makers and practitioners concerning Powered two- and three-wheeler Safety. Key risk factors for motorcycle traffic injuries include the non-use of helmets, vehicle speed, alcohol use, mixed traffic conditions, a lack of protection from the vehicle in a crash and a lack of safe infrastructure for PTWs such as poor road surfaces and roadside hazards. This second edition of the Powered two- and three- wheeler Safety Manual includes guidelines for implementing, enforcing and evaluating 2-and-3-wheeler safety programmes.  

The World Health Organization has released a Road Safety Manual for decision-makers and practitioners concerning Occupant Restraints. The purpose of the second edition of this manual is to provide evidence, advice and examples that will lead to increased use of occupant restraints as safety devices at the national level. Rooted in new case studies and evidence, including from low- and middle-income countries, it includes recommendations for developing and implementing technical standards and legislation, advice on monitoring and evaluating progress, and suggestions regarding other multidisciplinary measures.   

The European Commission published preliminary figures on Road safety in the EU, showing that  road fatalities in 2021 remain well below pre-pandemic level. EU-wide, road deaths in 2021 rose by 5% on the previous year, although comparisons with 2020 are strongly influenced by the traffic level patterns in each country during the course of the pandemic. Between 2019 and 2020, the number of road fatalities fell by 17%.  

Road fatalities in Greece in 2021 presented a slight increase (4%) compared to 2020 figures, according to the provisional ELSTAT data. This slight increase is mainly attributed to the returning back to normal traffic from the pandemic period. During the last decade, Greece presented an impressive road safety improvement in the European Union, with a decrease of 38% in road fatalities since 2012 and a decrease of serious injuries of 60%. The rate fatalities per million vehicles has decreased by 42% since 2012.  

The new Greek Regions interactive road fatalities Infographic of the NTUA Road Safety Observatory, based on ELSTAT data for 2019, allows for performance comparisons for different types of road crashes. It is demonstrated that disaggregate data can reveal hidden road safety issues, allowing national and local Authorities to focus on targeted road safety countermeasures.  

The new EU road fatalities interactive infographic of the NTUA Road Safety Observatory, based on European Commission CARE data for 2019, allows for performance comparisons for different types of road crashes. It is demonstrated that disaggregate data can reveal hidden road safety problems, allowing national Authorities to focus on targeted road safety countermeasures.  

The  International Road Federation (IRF) released the 58th edition of the IRF World Road Statistics 2021 (WRS2021) which continues to be the major comprehensive, universal source of statistical data on road networks, traffic and inland transport, including traffic accidents. This year the WRS 2021 (data 2014-2019) includes up-to-date information for more than 200 countries and 180+ indicators, with the active contribution of NTUA for the Greek data. Split into 11 sections, it includes key data on topics such as Road Networks, Multimodal Traffic, Road Expenditures & Revenues, Road Traffic, Vehicles in Use, Energy Consumption, CO2 Emissions and Road Accidents, and much more. 

According to the Hellenic Statistical Authority (ELSTAT) road crashes data for 2019 in Greece, 29% of road fatalities are passenger car occupants, whereas 33% of road fatalities are power two wheelers. Most car occupant fatalities occur outside built-up areas while most motorcycle and pedestrian fatalities occur inside built-up areas. Crash severity is five times higher outside built-up areas for all transport modes. 

According to the Hellenic Statistical Authority (ELSTAT) data for 2019, the majority of road crashes and fatalities in Greece occur during clear sky, both inside and outside built-up area. However, both road crashes and fatalities share outside built-up areas is much higher during rainy conditions than normal conditions of clear sky. Furthermore, crash severity is increased by almost 20% during raining. 

According to the latest Hellenic Statistical Authority (ELSTAT) data for 2019, most road fatalities in Greece occur at daytime and at night with good street lighting inside built-up area, or with no street lighting outside built-up area. Crash severity is increased 3 to 5 times more at night with no street lighting, but also at night crashes outside built-up areas. 

According to the Hellenic Statistical Authority (ELSTAT) final road crash data for 2019, come off the road and at angle collisions are the two most common crash types outside built-up areas. Pedestrian crashes, at angle collisions, come off the road and side impact collisions are the most common crashes types inside built-up areas. Crash severity is more than 7 times higher outside built-up areas at pedestrian crashes. 

According to the Hellenic Statistical Authority (ELSTAT) data, among the 688 persons killed in Greece in 2019: 318 were outside built-up areas and 370 were inside built-up areas. 53% of road fatalities outside built-up area occurred on national roads. More than 80% of road crashes and half of fatalities occurred inside built-up areas. However, crash severity is 4 times higher outside built-up areas in total. 

According to Hellenic Statistical Authority (ELSTAT) data, 688 persons were killed in Greece in 2019: 470 drivers, 73 passengers and 145 pedestrians. Male drivers account for 64% of all road fatalities in Greece. Young male drivers aged 15-24 years old account for 15% of all male driver fatalities and older people account for 46% of all pedestrian fatalities. The higher crash severity was found in crashes involving older persons (6.2 fatalities per 100 crashes) and young people 15-24 years old (3.3 fatalities per 100 crashes). 

Basic characteristics of road fatalities in Greece for the period 1991-2019 are summarised in a comprehensive Table prepared by the NTUA Road Safety Observatory (data source: ELSTAT). According to these time series data a spectacular decrease in road fatalities for children 0-14 years old (-60%), young drivers (-54%) and outside built-up areas (-52%) is observed during the last decade. On the contrary, fatalities decrease during the last decade is quite limited (but important) for older drivers (-24%) and pedestrians (-19%). 

According to the EU road fatalities infographic of the NTUA Road Safety Observatory based on preliminary European Commission DG-Move data for 2020, Sweden ranked first in 2020 with 18 fatalities/mil. inhabitants followed by Malta (21) and Denmark (27), whereas Greece ranked 20th (54) and Romania ranked last (85). 13 countries had a better performance than the EU average of 42 fatalities/mil. inhabitants. Greece was the only country that achieved the decade 2010-2020 target of 50% road fatalities reduction, with a performance of -52%. 

The Transport Community published statistics on road fatalities in 2020 for the Western Balkans’ regional participants, which show that the numbers of road fatalities per million inhabitants are higher in the Western Balkans than the EU average, highlighting the need for intensification of efforts for all pillars of road safety. 

EuroRAP together with RSI Panos Mylonas, delivered to the Greek Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport two maps with the most dangerous roads in Greece. The maps were presented within the framework of the SLAIN project, which aims at enhancing Road Safety at the European Road Network. At these maps, Greek roads risk level is depicted in different colors, based on accidents frequency and quantitative risk assessment.   

The World Health Organization has released an information resource for decision-makers and practitioners titled “Cyclist safety”, which describes the magnitude of cyclist death and injury, the key risk factors, and effective interventions. The document stresses the importance of a comprehensive, holistic approach that includes legislation, enforcement and behavioural measures specifically for cyclists, design of the built environment, as well as integrating cyclist safety into overall road safety and transport strategies.