Skip to main content

Data shows Germany road safety boost

Preliminary data suggests road deaths dropped by 6% in 2021 compared to figures for 2020
By Mike Woof March 31, 2022 Read time: 1 min
There were 2,570 road-related fatalities in Germany in 2021, the lowest rate for over 60 years (© Vondetraumer | Dreamstime.com)

The latest data on crash statistics and road fatalities for Germany shows a marked improvement in casualty rates for 2021.

The preliminary data paints a positive picture, with road deaths dropping by 6% compared to the figures for 2020. The data is of note as it compares a similar picture to France and the UK for example, where casualty rates have also been reduced.

This contrasts strongly with the US also, where road casualty rates actually increased during the pandemic.

There were 2,570 road related fatalities in Germany in 2021, the lowest rate of road deaths for over 60 years. While distances travelled have dropped during the pandemic period, it is of note that more people drove during 2021 than in 2020, so the data reflects a strong overall improvement in road safety in Germany.

Further analysis of the crash data will give greater insight into how this safety improvement has been achieved as more comprehensive information becomes available. It is of note that DUI offences, alcohol in particular but also misuses of drugs, have been an issue in some parts of Germany in the past. Whether this has also been reduced remains to be seen.
 

Related Content

  • US DOTs introduce measures to stop wrong-way driving
    March 28, 2018
    Wrong-way driving (WWD) is a remarkably innocuous term for incidents that all too often cause some of the worst accidents that emergency services have to deal with. Several US states are now taking steps to minimise the problem, as Alan Dron finds out. You’re driving down a highway at night when you see approaching headlights. You initially assume they are merely those of an oncoming car on the opposite carriageway. It’s only when they are within 200 yards or so that you realise that the other driver is in
  • US speed limit increases ‘cause 33,000 deaths in 20 years’
    April 14, 2016
    A new Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) study, which looked at the impact of speed limit increases in 41 states over a 20-year period starting in 1993, shows that increases in speed limits over two decades have cost 33,000 lives in the US In 2013 alone. The increases resulted in 1,900 additional deaths, essentially cancelling out the number of lives saved by frontal airbags that year. "Although fatality rates fell during the study period, they would have been much lower if not for states' dec
  • Advanced Driver Assistance Systems: a solution or another problem?
    November 27, 2013
    Do Advanced Driver Assistance Systems represent a positive step forward for safety, or something of a safety risk? Jason Barnes discusses the issue with leading industry figures. Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) are already common. Anti-lock brakes or electronic stability control are well understood and are either fitted as standard or frequently requested by new vehicle buyers. More advanced ADAS features are appearing on many top-end vehicles and the trickle-down has already started. Adaptive
  • Germany is Mad for Vitronic
    April 30, 2025
    Managed Automated Driving project takes place in German city of Brunswick