According to new research by the Council of Bureaux (COB), 38,854 people lost their lives in road traffic accidents across the Green Card System in 2024. This marks the first time COB has compiled and calculated total road fatalities across the entire Green Card Area, using national data sources for countries outside the European Economic Area.
The findings highlight significant differences in road safety performance across the region. The highest numbers of fatalities were recorded in Türkiye (6,351), Morocco (4,024), Ukraine (3,202), France (3,193) and Italy (3,030), while Northern European countries such as Norway (89), Denmark (145) and Finland (179) continued to report comparatively low fatality levels.
COB’s analysis underlines that, despite long-term improvements in vehicle safety, infrastructure, enforcement and public awareness, road traffic deaths remain a major public health challenge. The data also demonstrates the importance of continued investment in safer road design, enforcement against speeding and impaired driving, vehicle safety technologies, protection of vulnerable road users, and public awareness.
As COB notes, every road fatality represents a human life and affects families and communities. The findings reinforce the need for continued national and international cooperation to make roads safer across the Green Card System