IN BRIEF
In Europe, the number of cyclists killed on the roads has fallen by only 8% in ten years, against a reduction four times faster for car drivers. The European Transport Safety Council (ETSC) report warns of the urgent need to improve safety. Collisions with motor vehicles remain the leading cause of cyclist deaths. The ETSC recommends separate infrastructure and the widespread adoption of 30 km/h zones to protect cyclists.
Alarming figures for cyclist safety
Over ten years, the number of cyclists killed on European Union roads has fallen by just 8%. By comparison, car driver deaths have dropped four times faster. According to the European Transport Safety Council (ETSC) report, 1,926 cyclists lost their lives in the EU in 2024. To meet the target of halving road deaths by 2030, an annual decline of 6.5% would be needed, far from the current 0.5%.
Cyclists now account for 10% of all deaths on European roads, and that share could keep rising without swift action. The European Transport Safety Council is calling for urgent action to reverse the trend.
Unequal treatment in road safety policy
Road safety policy in Europe has mostly benefited car drivers, leaving cyclists behind. While deaths among motorised road users fell, serious injuries among cyclists rose by 12% over ten years. That figure is probably underestimated, because in some countries fewer than 10% of collisions involving cyclists are officially recorded.
65% of cyclist deaths result from collisions with motor vehicles, with passenger cars involved in 44% of cases. Lowering vehicle speeds is a measure strongly backed by the ETSC to improve safety.
Infrastructure and legislation under scrutiny
Separate cycling infrastructure could cut the risks. Protected lanes and safer junctions would limit collisions. Yet the report points to a lack of investment in such schemes. In France, a proposed change to the law is causing concern: it could weaken the obligation on towns and cities to make new urban roads safe for cyclists.
Finally, the profile of the victims is changing, with a rise in collisions among cyclists over 80, often riders of electrically assisted bikes. Riskier behaviour among men, who account for 80% of the cyclists killed, is also flagged.
