Accident rates: Stockholm is Europe’s safest capital.
In a long-term study, the Traffic Club Austria has checked Europe’s capitals for their traffic safety. The study takes account of the number of fatal accidents.
Low accident rates: The inhabitants of the Swedish capital Stockholm live in the safest European city. (Picture: pixabay)
Most car accidents with personal injuries happen in town. Whereas motorways are quite safe – statistically speaking –, most incidents occur in urban traffic, which – in comparison – is relatively slow. Reasons are obvious: The complex interaction of different road users implicates that the slightest carelessness might have serious consequences. However, the accident rates differ considerably from country to country. Moreover, a North-South divide is clearly observable.
In a long-term observation, the Traffic Club Austria has prepared a ranking of the safest cities in Europe and has investigated the most tragic casualties in urban traffic. The capitals of the countries, which normally also have the highest population density, have been studied.
Analysis of the accident rates over four years
In order to get a statistically meaningful result, the number of road users that have been killed in an accident has been calculated per 100,000 inhabitants. The total period from 2012 to 2015 has been assessed.
The result showed that Stockholm is the safest capital. Statistically speaking, the risk of dying there in urban traffic is 0.7/100,000 inhabitants. Vienna (1.1) and the German capital Berlin (1.2) follow at position two and three. At the end of the table, Nikosia in Cyprus (4.6), the Italian capital Rome (4.8) and the Croatian capital Zagreb (4.6) can be found. Here, it is more than eight times more likely to die in a car accident than in Stockholm (6.0 traffic fatalities per 100,000 inhabitants).
Read more: Digitalisation: Connected cars increase road safety
In Case of Traffic Jam, Form Rescue Lane!
In 1963, 26-year-old police officer Karl-Heinz Kalow proposed rescue lane legislation to the German authorities. In 1971, the corresponding law entered force. We provide an overview of how the rescue lane works both in Germany and other countries around the world.
