EUROPEAN COMMISSION

Brussels, 13.2.2026

SWD(2026) 40 final

COMMISSION STAFF WORKING DOCUMENT

Monitoring Road Safety Progress in the EU - Estonia

Accompanying the document

COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS

Report on the Implementation of the EU Road Safety Policy Framework at the Mid-Point

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Contents

1.    Summary    

2.    Road Safety Strategy and Measures    

2.1.    Road Safety Strategy    

2.2.    Road Safety Governance    

2.3.    Main Safety Issues    

2.4.    Road Safety Targets    

2.5.    Road Safety Measures    

3.    Road Safety Progress    

3.1.    Road Safety Outcomes    

3.2.    Road Safety Performance Indicators    

4.    Monitoring Road Safety Strategy Implementation    

4.1.    Implementation Progress    

4.2.    Best Practices    

4.3.    Gaps    

5.    Conclusions and Recommendations    

Estonia

1.Summary

In 2024, Estonia was above the EU average (45) with 50 road fatalities per million inhabitants. Compared to 2019, an increase of 33% was recorded although Estonia is a small country where the number of fatalities is subject to annual fluctuations.

Compared to the EU average, the distribution of fatalities in Estonia showed a relatively high proportion of fatalities on roads outside urban areas. In fact, in 2024, 72% of road fatalities occurred outside urban areas, on non-motorway roads. It is noted that there are no motorways in Estonia.

In the Road Safety Strategy 2016-2025 of Estonia, the targets of fewer than 40 fatalities and 330 serious injuries in 2025 have been set. The target values concern the average number of the casualties for the period 2023-2025. Additional road safety targets have been set for specific road user groups: pedestrians, cyclists, drivers of motor vehicles and passengers. Intermediate targets for 2020 have also been set.

The Road Safety Strategy includes 19 road safety measures divided in three pillars, related to road user, traffic environment and vehicle safety.

Based on the latest available preliminary data, Estonia has not made progress towards achieving the 2025 target of halving road fatalities. For Estonia, data on serious injuries are not available in the CARE database, thus, no assessment of the progress is carried out.

Regarding the progress of the implementation of the road safety actions foreseen in the national strategy for the period 2016-2024, there is a smooth implementation flow, with some delays reported mainly due to limited funding. Estonia starts from a medium level in most examined road safety areas (13 out of 28). Based on the self-reported assessment, the baseline is assessed as low in 11 road safety areas and as high in 4 areas. All measures are on track and only in three areas the implementation of the related measures has either not started or has been delayed.

The main gap identified is related to lack of sufficient funding. This gap affects the road safety areas of drivers’ health, infrastructure interventions in urban areas and on rural roads, as well as the area of designing, building and reconstructing a sustainable and safe infrastructure and traffic supervision.

Examples of best practices are available for Estonia, including resources on traffic safety education, communication campaigns and the testing of a new innovative measure as an alternative to speeding fines.

The implementation progress of the foreseen actions in the current strategy (2016-2025) appears broadly well on track, however, the increasing trend in the number of fatalities over the last two years (albeit in a small country where annual fluctuations occur) has meant that Estonia needs to do more to reach the 2025 target. The possible way forward to address this could be by:

·exploring new financial resources for the implementation of delayed road safety measures, with a focus on road infrastructure interventions both inside and outside urban areas,

·reviewing the degree of implementation of the actions

·exploring any other relevant activities

2.Road Safety Strategy and Measures

2.1.Road Safety Strategy

The Road Safety Programme of Estonia for the period 2016-2025 is part of the “Transport” performance area of the state budget strategy and was compiled on the basis of the 3rd sub-objective “Decreasing traffic damages” of the “National Transport Development Plan 2014–2020” and section 5 of the “National Road Traffic Safety Programme”. The Programme is a continuation of the first “Estonian National Traffic Safety Programme for 2003–2015” (ENTSP). It takes into account how the objectives set for the previous period were achieved and experiences gained, and the experiences of other, more successful countries.

Table 9.1: National road safety programme

2.2.Road Safety Governance

The Ministry of Economic Affairs and Communications and the Governments are responsible for setting targets and Estonian Transport Administration (ETA) are responsible for the formulation of the national road safety programme.

ETA is responsible for the monitoring of road safety developments in the country.

2.3.Main Safety Issues

Based on the progress achieved over the previous years, the following main safety issues have arisen for Estonia:

·No progress has been made in the number of car crashes involving pedestrians since 2010.

·Also, no significant changes have occurred as of 2010 concerning the crashes involving motorcycles and mopeds.

·The percentage of young people is the highest among drivers involved in traffic crashes.

·The highest number of pedestrian and cyclist fatalities are among elderly people. The percentage of children is high among injured road users.

·The vast majority of fatalities (73%) occurred on national roads, which make up only 28% of the Estonian road network.

2.4.Road Safety Targets

The following targets have been set in the National Road Safety Programme 2016-2025 of Estonia:

Table 9.2: Road safety targets

2.5.Road Safety Measures

A total of 19 road safety measures divided in three pillars are included in the road safety strategy of Estonia 1 .

Table 9.3: Road safety pillars and number of measures

3.Road Safety Progress

3.1.Road Safety Outcomes

Based on data for 2024, Estonia was 18th out of the 27 EU countries in terms of the lowest numbers of fatalities per million inhabitants. In fact, 50 road fatalities per million inhabitants were recorded that year, which is above the EU average (45).

Figure 9.1 Mortality rates by country, 2024

Sources: CARE database on road crashes; population data from Eurostat (online data code demo_pjan ).

Compared to the average values of 2012-2014, which is the baseline for the target set in the road safety programme, road fatalities have decreased. However, the downward trend in road fatalities has been reversed by 2023. Between 2019 and 2024, a 33% increase in road fatalities was recorded. It is noted that concerning the mid-level target of 2020, the average number of fatalities of the period 2018-2020 was 59, which was 9 fatalities higher than the target.

Figure 9.2 Road fatalities and target 2030
(Source CARE database)

Compared to the EU average, the distribution of fatalities in Estonia showed a relatively high proportion on roads outside urban areas 2 . In fact, in 2024, 72% of fatalities occurred outside urban areas, on non-motorway roads. There are no motorways in Estonia.

An overview of the evolution of road fatalities for the years 2019 and 2024 (year with the latest available detailed crash data) is provided below for specific types of roads, crashes and road users. Overall, in Estonia, road fatalities increased. 

Table 9.4: Evolution of road fatalities, 2019-2023

3.2.Road Safety Performance Indicators

The use rates of seat-belts among car occupants are higher in Estonia compared to the EU average. Additionally, the average age of the passenger car fleet is higher than the EU average.

Table 9.5: Road Safety Performance Indicators, 2022 or latest available year (Source: ERSO, Country Profiles)

Sources: a Baseline project, b ETSC (2022), c ESRA3 project (2024), d ACEA (2025)

4.Monitoring Road Safety Strategy Implementation

4.1.Implementation Progress

Road Safety Management

Estonia starts from a medium level in two road safety areas related to Road Safety Management: the national road safety authority and the road safety legislation. The baseline for the area of the national road safety budget is assessed as low. All foreseen measures are on track, except those related to the road safety budget. In Estonia, there is no special budget dedicated to road safety measures. Additionally, there is no national road safety observatory.

Table 9.6: Self-reported assessment of implementation progress of measures related to road safety management

Safe Road User Behaviour

In relation to the pillar of Safe Road User Behaviour, Estonia starts from a medium level in 6 road safety areas. The baseline is assessed as high in the road safety areas of communication campaigns, vulnerable road users and drivers’ health, while it is assessed as low for the areas of traffic supervision and rehabilitation.

In 2024, the majority of the measures of this pillar were on track. The implementation of the measures related to elderly users has been completed. It is noted that no measures related to professional drivers have been planned for the examined period in Estonia.

Table 9.7: Self-reported assessment of implementation progress of measures related to road user behaviour

The number of traffic related violations and the time spent for road traffic enforcement is being monitored. Also, checks on drink-driving are carried out, and mobile speed cameras are introduced.

Concerning education, the availability of modernized educational materials is ensured and the learning environment is developed. Trainings for teachers of kindergartens and schools that support traffic-related educational activities are conducted.

Regarding the training of novice drivers, an analysis of motor vehicle driver education has been carried out and curricula have been updated.

Additionally, 4-5 media campaigns per year are carried out on main road safety topics, such as alcohol, speed, distraction, and micro-mobility.

Among the measures for VRUs are advocating the use of reflectors and helmets and the importance of the technical condition of the bicycle, as well as developing cycling training materials, constructing additional cycle paths and bicycle lanes, and establishing 30km/h zones in urban areas.

Other active measures related to this pillar are: advanced training for elderly drivers, improving the assessment of a motor vehicle driver's health condition, creating legal bases for conducting additional health checks, developing the alcohol addiction treatment system, organizing campaigns to adhere to the speed limit, tackling drink driving and other problematic traffic behaviours. Also, drivers caught driving under the influence are referred to a programme conducted by psychologists.

Safe Speeds

Regarding the Safe Speeds pillar, Estonia starts from a high level in the area of update of speed limits and from a medium level in the area of enforcement. All measures related to this pillar are on track.

In particular, a methodology for determining driving speed has been prepared, and larger cities are reducing the speed limit in the city centre to 30 and 40 km/h. Regarding enforcement, on-spot mobile speed cameras and police forces are placed.

Table 9.8: Self-reported assessment of implementation progress of measures related to safe speeds

Safe Roads

Regarding the Safe Roads pillar, the self-reported assessment shows a medium baseline in the majority of the related road safety areas. Estonia starts from a low level in the areas of road design standards, road safety audits and inspections, traffic management and at-grade railway crossings. All measures of this pillar are on track.

Table 9.9: Self-reported assessment of implementation progress of measures related to safe roads

Among the measures for urban infrastructure are the construction of light traffic roads at dangerous sites, improvement of safety at road crossings, while among the interventions on rural roads are installation of lighting and implementation of a pedestrian-friendly speed regime. Also, the road design standards are updated.

Among the remaining measures of this pillar are design, construction and reconstruction of sustainable and safe infrastructure, identifying and treatment of dangerous sites, sustainable and safe traffic management, introduction of ITS capabilities, and the implementation of additional safety measures at railway crossings.

Safe Vehicles

In relation to the pillar of Safe Vehicles, Estonia starts from a low level in all related areas. All measures are on track, while the implementation of measures related to fleet renewal has been delayed.

Regarding the automation preparation, the eCall system and real-time notification systems for road users will be introduced.

Also, commercial transport and the movement of work-related vehicles are given more attention than before. Activities continue in the area of compliance with the requirements related to the most severe violations and control of compliance with the requirements for trucking.

Table 9.10: Self-reported assessment of implementation progress of measures related to safe vehicles

Post Crash Care

No measures related to the Post-Crash Care pillar are available in the road safety programme of Estonia.

Table 9.11: Self-reported assessment of implementation progress of measures related to post crash care

4.2.Best Practices

Examples of best practices are available for Estonia:

Safe Road Use Behaviour

·Education: The Estonian website liikluskasvatus.ee offers a comprehensive resource on traffic safety education tailored for various age groups, including children, parents, and educators. It provides interactive materials like games, tests, and informative videos on safe pedestrian and cycling practices, responsible vehicle use, and general road safety.

· Communication campaigns : The Transport Administration of the Republic of Estonia publishes prevention campaigns on its website. These campaigns address issues such as speeding, driving under the influence, pedestrian safety, and responsible behaviour on the roads.

Safe Speeds

·The Time-out-station was tested on Estonian motorways in 2019. When a speeding was registered by the police, the driver was stopped. If they had no pre-existing traffic-related offences, they were offered a choice: either to pay a fine or wait by the roadside and continue their trip after a certain time had passed.

4.3.Gaps

Based on the self-reported assessment of the implementation progress of the road safety programme, the main gap identified is related to lack of sufficient funding. This gap affects the road safety areas of drivers’ health, infrastructure interventions in urban areas and on rural roads, as well as the area of designing, building and reconstructing a sustainable and safe infrastructure.

Lack of funding is reported as a gap for the area of traffic supervision as well, since there is no budget for new traffic monitoring equipment. Also, in Estonia, there is no general consensus on the use of average speed cameras and the implementation of a demerit-point system is not yet under discussion due to lack of support.

Also, there are negative reactions in society to the reduction of speed limits on undivided 1+1 rural roads (80km/h) and inside cities (40 or 30km/h). Safe speeds need to be better advocated together with mobility and environmental benefits.

Finally, there is not a systematic process concerning the conduct of road safety inspections, which also are not documented well.

5.Conclusions and Recommendations

In the road safety programme 2016-2025 of Estonia, the targets of fewer than 40 fatalities and 330 serious injuries in 2025 have been set. The target values concern the average number of the casualties for the period 2023-2025. Also, additional road safety targets are set for specific road user groups: pedestrians, cyclists, drivers of motor vehicles and passengers. In total, 19 road safety measures divided in three pillars are included in the programme.

In 2024, Estonia, with 50 fatalities per million inhabitants, ranked 18th out of the 27 EU countries in terms of road mortality. Compared to the EU average, the distribution of fatalities in Estonia showed a relatively high proportion of fatalities occurred on roads outside urban areas.

Based on data, between 2019 and 2024, an increase of 33% in road fatalities was recorded. This indicates that Estonia is unlikely to reach the 2025 target of halving the number of road fatalities although it is a small country where the number of fatalities is subject to annual fluctuations.

Regarding the implementation of the road safety actions foreseen in the national road safety programme, there appears to be a smooth implementation flow, with some delays reported mainly due to limited funding. Based on the self-reported assessment, all measures are on track and only in three areas the implementation of the related measures has either not started or has been delayed.

Finally, the implementation progress of the foreseen actions in the current programme (2016-2025) appears to be broadly well on track. However, the increasing trend in the number of fatalities over the last two years means that Estonia needs to do more to reach its 2025 target (and subsequently the 50% target for 2030). Possible ways to address this could be:

·exploring new financial resources for the implementation of delayed road safety measures, with a focus on road infrastructure interventions both inside and outside urban areas,

·reviewing the degree of implementation of the actions,

·exploring any other relevant activities.

(1)

Estonian Road Safety Programme: https://transpordiamet.ee/media/618/download  

(2)

European Commission (2023), Country Profile Estonia. Road Safety Observatory. Brussels, European Commission, Directorate General for Transport.

(3)

An EU average is not available for speeding, due to different legal speed limits among countries, which does not allow for a straightforward comparison.