Road safety in Cyprus appears to have taken a downward path, with the number of fatalities rising by 21 per cent in 2024, according to a European report.

The European Transport Safety Council (ETSC) found that while Cyprus reduced road deaths by 8.9 per cent over the past ten years, there was a sharp increase in 2024. A total of 41 people lost their lives on the roads last year, up from 34 in 2023, a rise of 21 per cent, one of the worst spikes in the EU.

That pushed Cyprus down the EU safety rankings, falling from 6th place to 13th, and now sitting alongside Lithuania. Cyprus has 42 deaths per million people, slightly below the EU average of 45.

The report compares road safety in 32 countries, including the UK and Norway and looks at both deaths and serious injuries.

One piece of good news for Cyprus: it had the biggest drop in serious injuries out of all EU countries with available data, down 51.6 per cent since 2014. Cyprus is also among only 11 EU member-states to have cut both deaths and serious injuries over the last decade.

Cyprus has set a goal of reaching full ambulance response coverage by 2030 after road crashes, something not many other countries have committed to.

But overall, Europe is not moving fast enough. In 2024, more than 20,000 people died on EU roads, only a 2 per cent drop from 2023. To hit the EU’s target of halving deaths by 2030, the yearly drop needs to be 6.1 per cent.

Cyprus has done better than most in reducing deaths since 2019, with a 21 per cent decrease, but still not enough. The EU average is just 12 per cent, far below the pace needed.

The ETSC says nearly 50,000 lives could have been saved if Europe had stayed on track, and the missed savings to society are estimated at €184 billion.

Norway continues to lead the way in safety, with just 16 road deaths per million people in 2024, the lowest rate in Europe. It won this year’s road safety award for its long-term action plan, tougher laws, and local safety efforts like car-free zones around schools.