In 2022 in the European Union approx 10,000 people died on country roadsoff highways, accounting for about half of all traffic deaths.

National governments will now need to invest significantly to improve the safety of rural roads in order to meet the EU’s collective target of halving road traffic deaths by 2030.

Country roads can be more dangerous, compared to other types of roads. They often have no central or side rails and there are wide differences in speed and weight between vehicles using them, from trucks to vulnerable cyclists and pedestrians. Single-vehicle crashes, where a tired driver misjudges a turn and goes off the road, are common. Head-on collisions are common and usually fatal, says a new report published by the European Transport Safety Council (ETSC).

It highlights the significant challenge EU Member States will face in the coming years, as the scope of EU rules on road infrastructure safety management has been extended to cover a greater proportion of national road networks. While the safety rules apply to the main road network and motorways, new rules agreed in 2019 extend coverage to national roads and all roads that have benefited from EU funds.

Installing side and center guardrails, removing road-side obstructions and building separate bike lanes and pedestrian sidewalks are among the recommendations for safer country roads. Although often seen as a road safety issue in cities, half of cyclist deaths occur on country roads as they mix into traffic with much heavier and faster vehicles. E-bikes are increasing the rate of cycling in rural areas, often among older recreational riders, and are a factor that local and national authorities should consider when planning road investment.

The exhibition contains many examples of remarkable life-saving interventions across Europe.

France, Spain and the Belgian region of Flanders, have reduced speed limits across the entire provincial road network. Sweden has invested heavily in roads that have central parapets and safety-first design. In Scotland, tests were carried out with special markings for motorcyclists on the road that guide them through sharp turns, achieving impressive results. In the West Pomeranian region of Poland, 800 kilometers of high-quality cycling routes were built in rural areas in five years.

Speed ​​remains a significant risk factor, as large numbers of drivers still drive over the legal limit on country roads in many countries, despite the use of automated infringement recording technology such as speed cameras. The study’s authors note that the safest countries studied typically have lower standard speed limits on country roads, which are set at 70 or 80 km/h.

Finally, the ETSC also wants to see the automatic emergency call system ‘eCall’, which is mandatory on all new cars in the EU, extended to other types of vehicles, notably motorcycles. In rural areas, the eCall system could save the life of an injured driver or rider who is unable to call for help, as it can send location information directly to emergency services.