European call for greater action on cyclist safety

A landmark report published last week by the European Transport Safety Council (ETSC) reveals that cyclist deaths across the European Union have barely declined over the past decade – even as deaths among car occupants have fallen at four times the rate.

The report calls for urgent action on motor vehicle speed reduction and separated cycling infrastructure to close a widening safety gap.

In 2024, 1,926 cyclists were killed on EU roads. Over the decade from 2014 to 2024, cyclist deaths fell by just 8% – an average annual reduction of only 0.5%. By stark contrast, deaths among motorised road users fell at an annual rate of 2%, four times faster.

To meet the EU’s 2030 target of halving road deaths, an overall annual reduction of 6.5% would be required – thirteen times the current rate of progress for cyclists. Cyclists now account for 10% of all road deaths in the EU. Without serious safety improvements this proportion will grow.

Police-reported serious injuries among cyclists increased by 12% over the same period. Hospital data suggest the true scale is far higher, with fewer than 10% of injured cyclists appearing in police statistics in some countries.

ETSC is calling on national governments and the European Commission to make speed reduction a priority. The report also underlines that physical separation of cyclists from fast-moving motor traffic is essential to achieving meaningful safety improvements. Where separation is not possible, safe speed limits must be enforced. Investment in high-quality separated cycling infrastructure – protected lanes, cycle paths and safe junctions – must be scaled up urgently across Europe.

Jenny Carson, co-author of the report for ETSC, said: “Governments are actively encouraging more people to cycle – for the climate, to reduce fossil-fuel use and congestion, for public health, for our cities. But they are not providing the safe conditions that cyclists need and deserve. You cannot ask people to cycle and then fail to protect them from fast-moving traffic.

“We need lower speeds where cyclists and motor vehicles share space, and we need separated cycling infrastructure where speed limits are set above 30 km/h. The data could not be clearer: without urgent action, cyclists will continue to pay with their lives.”

The full report, including country-by-country data and detailed policy analysis, is available at www.etsc.eu/pinflash50.