Fewer road injuries in Brussels in 2024, but serious cases increase amid EU-Wide concerns
Road safety in the Brussels-Capital Region showed signs of improvement in 2024, with the lowest number of injuries recorded in the past decade.
According to data from Brussels Mobility, a total of 4,303 people were injured in road accidents last year, marking a 1% decrease compared to 2023 and a 12% drop from 2022.
An analysis by mode of transport reveals a decline in injuries among motorists, pedestrians, and cyclists. However, the number of injured motorcyclists and e-scooter users increased, though the figures remained lower than in 2022 and pre-pandemic levels.
Despite this overall progress, serious injuries and fatalities increased, with 198 severe cases recorded in 2024 compared to 160 in 2023. However, this remains lower than the 226 cases reported in 2022. The rise in serious injuries was mainly observed among motorists and motorcyclists.
Last year, nine people lost their lives on regional roads, including six pedestrians, one cyclist, and two motorists.
Brussels reflects broader EU trends in road safety
The Brussels data aligns with new figures recently published by the European Commission, which show that around 19,800 people lost their lives in road crashes across the EU in 2024.
While this represents a 3% decline compared to 2023, the European Commission warns that the overall pace of improvement remains too slow. Indeed, most EU Member States are not on track to meet the EU's goal of halving road fatalities by 2030.
The latest EU statistics highlight significant differences between countries in road safety progress:
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Countries making strong progress: Bulgaria, Denmark, Lithuania, Poland, and Slovenia are advancing towards the 50% reduction target;
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Countries with slower improvement: Greece, Spain, France, and Italy have seen only modest declines in fatalities;
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Countries where fatalities increased: Ireland and Estonia recorded more road deaths in 2024, although fluctuations are more common in smaller nations.
Sweden and Denmark remain the safest countries in the EU, with fatality rates of 20 and 24 deaths per million inhabitants, respectively. Meanwhile, Romania (77/million) and Bulgaria (74/million) continue to have some of the highest road fatality rates, despite making notable progress in recent years. The EU average stands at 44 deaths per million inhabitants.
Cycling safety in Brussels shows strong improvement
In contrast to the mixed road safety picture across Europe, Brussels saw a clear improvement in cycling safety in 2024.
While the number of cyclists in the city continues to grow, the number of injuries has decreased. Brussels Mobility recorded 951 injured cyclists in 2024, a figure not seen since 2019 (914).
Since 2010, the risk of cycling accidents in Brussels has been cut in half, and since 2019, it has decreased by 33%. These improvements highlight the effectiveness of increased cycling infrastructure and safety measures implemented in recent years.
Next steps for EU road safety
The European Commission has been pushing for stronger road safety measures to accelerate progress.
In March 2023, it introduced a package of proposals, including updated driving license requirements, improved cross-border enforcement of traffic rules, and new roadworthiness legislation to remove unsafe vehicles from EU roads
Additionally, the Commission is advancing broader mobility strategies, such as the Sustainable and Smart Mobility Strategy and the Urban Mobility Framework, to further improve road safety across Europe.
As Brussels and the EU continue working toward the Vision Zero target—eliminating road deaths by 2050—experts stress the need for stronger measures and continued investment in safer infrastructure to protect all road users, especially vulnerable groups such as pedestrians, cyclists, and motorcyclists.
