Ireland ranks ninth as Europe’s safest country for driving, with 32 road deaths per million inhabitants in 2024, 29% lower than the European average, a study has revealed.

The study, carried out by Vignetteswitzerland.com, analysed the latest data from the European Transport Safety Council’s (ETSC) Performance Index (PIN) 2025 report, ranking European countries based on their 2024 road fatality figures.

According to the study, Ireland recorded 172 road deaths in 2024, maintaining “strong safety performance” across both urban centres and rural counties.

It also found that Ireland’s roads are more than twice as safe as Serbia’s, which is Europe’s most dangerous driving country.

The study revealed that despite having one of Europe’s “most extensive rural road networks” and challenging Atlantic weather conditions, Ireland maintains consistent safety standards nationwide.

Driving safety

The table below outlines Europe’s top 10 safest driving countries:

Rank	Country	2024 Road deaths	Population	2024 Road deaths per million	Difference to EU average
32	Norway	89	5,550,217	16	-64%
31	Sweden	213	10,551,707	20	-56%
30	Malta	12	563,443	21	-53%
29	Denmark	145	5,961,249	24	-47%
28	United Kingdom	1,702	69,200,000	25	-44%
27	Luxembourg	18	672,050	27	-40%
26	Switzerland	250	8,962,258	28	-38%
25	Finland	176	5,603,851	31	-31%
23	Ireland	172	5,351,681	32	-29%
23	Slovenia	68	2,123,949	32	-29%

Europe’s top 10 safest driving countries.

The following table outlines Europe’s top 10 most dangerous driving countries:

Rank	Country	2024 Road deaths	Population	2024 Road deaths per million residents	Difference to EU average
1	Serbia	514	6,605,168	78	+73%
2	Romania	1,477	19,067,576	77	+71%
3	Bulgaria	478	6,445,481	74	+64%
4	Greece	665	10,400,720	64	+42%
5	Croatia	239	3,861,967	62	+38%
6	Latvia	112	1,871,882	60	+33%
6	Portugal	634	10,639,726	60	+33%
8	Hungary	497	9,584,627	52	+16%
8	Poland	1,896	36,620,970	52	+16%
10	Italy	3,030	58,971,230	51	+13%

Europe’s top 10 most dangerous driving countries

The CEO of Vignetteswitzerland.com, Mattijs Wijnmalen said: “Ireland’s ninth-place ranking is particularly impressive, given the unique challenges of maintaining road safety across such a diverse road network.

“From the busy M50 around Dublin to winding coastal roads in Kerry and Donegal, Ireland manages an incredibly varied driving environment that includes some of Europe’s most scenic, and challenging, rural routes.”

“The 29% improvement over the EU average represents significant progress, especially considering Ireland’s challenging weather conditions and the mix of local traffic, agricultural vehicles, and international tourists navigating unfamiliar roads,” Wijnmalen added.

Driving safety

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