Around 19,800 people were killed in road crashes in the European Union (EU) last year, according to figures released today (Tuesday, March 18) by the European Commission.

This represents a decrease of 3%, or 600 people, on the figure for 2023.

According to the the commission, even if road fatalities decreased more significantly in 2024 than they did in 2023, the overall pace of improvement remains too slow, and most EU countries are not on track to meet the EU's goal of halving road deaths by 2030.

Earlier this year, the Road Safety Authority (RSA) confirmed that 174 fatalities occurred on Irish roads in 2024, seven fewer than the previous year.

The commission's report highlights that across the EU, rural roads continue to pose the greatest threat, with 52% of fatalities occurring on rural roads.

77% of road deaths involve men, while adults over the age of 65, and people between 18 and 24 are considered particularly vulnerable road users.

In terms of road user type, car occupants account for the largest share of fatalities, followed by motorcyclists (20%), pedestrians (18%), and cyclists (10%).

The European Commissioner for Sustainable Transport, Apostolos Tzitzikostas said: "While the 3% reduction in road fatalities is a step in the right direction, it is not enough. Too many lives are still lost on our roads every year.

"We must accelerate efforts to improve road safety, particularly for vulnerable road users and in high-risk areas like rural roads," he added.

The report indicates that road safety progress across the EU remains uneven, with some countries making significant strides while others struggle to reduce fatalities.

Over the past five years, Greece, Spain, France, and Italy have seen only modest declines in road deaths, while Ireland and Estonia have experienced an increase, although annual fluctuations in smaller countries tend to be more pronounced.

Sweden and Denmark remain the safest countries in terms of road safety, with low fatality rates of 20 and 24 deaths per million inhabitants, respectively.

The EU average is 44 road deaths per million inhabitants.