This article covers Europe’s 17 Most Dangerous Countries to Drive In and provides an in-depth overview of the continent’s car insurance industry, which has been impacted due to rising vehicle accidents. For a quick overview of the top 5, read our article Europe’s 5 Most Dangerous Countries to Drive In.
The European Union claimed that it wants to reduce the number of traffic deaths by half by the time2030 rolls around and ensure that the number would be at zero in 2050. However, the trend is moving in the opposite direction, and research has deemed several places in Europe to be dangerous to drive in.
A study by the University of Iowa reveals that the root cause of accidents is aggression in driver's behaviour. There are various other reasons behind the rising vehicular accidents and car deaths, such as high levels of speed and alcohol or inadequate design of the roads.
In countries where the number of car fatalities is higher in rural regions, the main reasons have been cited to be the lack of appropriate roads or congestion on the smaller roads, leading to accidents.
In 2023, Southern and Western Europe reported the highest number of single-vehicle fatalities, with some of them taking place on the most dangerous roads in Europe to drive on. Portugal, France, Austria, Netherlands, and Greece have recorded either40% vehicular deaths or more.
Back in 2020,88% of drivers in Europe admitted that they drive above the speed limit occasionally, while 61% said that they do not respect the required safety distance laws.
Consequently, the recklessness of drivers on the continent has led to some locations becoming the most dangerous countries in Europe for drivers. This has had a wide impact on the auto market as a whole, especially where the car insurance industry is concerned.
A Look into the Auto Insurance Industry in Europe
Europe is home to one of the leading insurance markets across the globe, especially when it comes to the auto insurance market. The auto insurance market also includes self-driving cars and delivery robots.
As per the global rating agency A.M. Best, total motor premiums in the European car insurance industry are valued at 100 billion euros, with Germany possessing the highest value of car insurance claims at 25 billion euros.
Currently, there are over 1,000 car insurance companies operating on the continent, with some of the big players being Admiral (LON:ADM), AXA, Allianz, Munich Re, and MAPFRE.
A couple of well-known names from the European market, such as Aviva (LON:AV), have also taken initiatives to expand their operations globally, moving toward the US and Canada. Similarly, companies like Geico and Clements Worldwide have opened their doors to people residing in Europe.
Where the current car insurance premiums are concerned, the most dynamic European market, the UK, has recorded an increase of an all-time high. In the current year, motor insurance in the country has gone up by 40%, as compared to the previous year.
Top car insurance companies in the UK have increased their car insurance premiums as well, which have now reached an average of £1,257, with Admiral (LON:ADM) charging £1,037. Meanwhile, Aviva’s (LON:AV) motor cover has gone up by 20%.
On this note, Aviva (LON:AV) has explained that the reason behind the rising car insurance premiums was its 9% to 11% increase in claims. Where Admiral (LON:ADM) is concerned, it has started to charge premiums that are over 20% of the average of the country.
For our list of Europe’s 17 Most Dangerous Countries to Drive In, various countries were taken into consideration, specifically those with a population of 100,000 people or more.
For this study, we evaluated three metrics: fatal deaths, traffic inefficiency, and road conditions. To ascertain the authenticity of these metrics, we referred to the rankings and reports by European Commission and a couple of other websites for validation.
For each individual metric taken into account, initial ranks were assigned to the relevant countries, which ranged from 1 (most dangerous) to 17 (least dangerous). Consequently, weights were assigned to each metric as per its importance to the study, as well as general research.
With fatal deaths being the primary metric, the weight assigned to it was 50%. Meanwhile, road conditions was weighted at 20%, and traffic inefficiency and drunk driving were assigned a weight of 15% each.
Once the weighted average of these four metrics was calculated, countries were ranked from 1-17, with 1 being the most dangerous country to drive in and 17 being the least dangerous on our list.
Below is our list of Europe’s Most Dangerous Countries To Drive In, ranked in descending order from 17-1.
17 Most Dangerous Countries in Europe to Drive in
17. Austria
Where the leading causes of death in the country are concerned, road accidents rank 23 on a list of 50. In the year 2022 alone, Austria had more than 34,000 vehicular accidents, which left more than 43,000 people injured. Consequently, the fatality rate due to car crashes stood at 370, as per the Road Traffic Accidents report.
16. Lithuania
In Lithuania, road accidents have been ranked 18 on a list of 50, where leading causes of death are accounted for. This supports the fact that in 2020, a report published by WHO indicated that car fatalities in the country made up 0.6% of overall deaths.
15. Cyprus
An island country sitting on the eastern Mediterranean Sea, Cyprus revealed that it would be raising its auto insurance premiums in the current year. This would be mainly due to the number of rising claims, which is not surprising seeing the car crash statistics in the country. Last year, the total number of fatal car crashes recorded was 21. Meanwhile, 29 road fatalities have been recorded in the first six months of 2023 alone.
14. Belgium
According to a report, in January 2023, car insurance premiums in the country increased by 5%, as compared to the previous year. One of the primary causes of the hike is rising traffic on the roads. Consequently, the frequency of car crashes, and thus, insurance claims, has swiftly increased. As a result, car insurance premiums have been pushed up. Where accidents in the country are concerned, they have increased by a figure of 26% from 2015 to 2019.
13. Slovakia
Back in 2019, more than 250 people died due to traffic accidents in Slovakia, which is why the mortality rate in the country is greater than that of the EU average. Where the distribution of this number is concerned, there are a greater number of pedestrians involved, and most of the crashes occur on rural roads.
12. Malta
In the first quarter of 2023, traffic accidents and fatalities in Malta rose by 6.3% and 13.3% respectively, as compared to the first quarter of 2022. Consequently, the country has landed itself on the list, making it one of the most dangerous countries in the world to drive in. A total of 621 cases of traffic accidents were recorded in the first three months of this year, with Birkirkara registering 271 of these.
11. France
France, a country known for its sophisticated cuisine and fine wine, has been ranked as one of the most dangerous countries for drivers in Europe. In the year 2022, it recorded a total of 3,267 deaths, which was 0.7% greater than those reported in 2019 and 11% higher than the deaths that occurred in 2021. Due to rising accidents and, thus, insurance claims, France has decided to raise car insurance premiums by up to EUR 1,200.
10. Greece
When counting the number of car fatalities per million in the EU, Greece ranks at number 7 out of 27. In the year 2020, more than 580 people lost their lives in reported car accidents in the country. As per data obtained from the Hellenic Statistical Authority (ELSTAT), 624 people succumbed to car accidents in Greece in the year 2021, which included 447 drivers and over 80 passengers.
9. Czechia
The number of car fatalities in Czechia recorded from January to April of this year was 139, which was an increase when compared to the year-on-year figure. In the year 2021, the overall number of traffic accidents in Czechia stood at 532 cases. This was an increase of around 3% as compared to 2020.
8. Poland
With a population of 38 million, Poland is the fifth-most populous country in Europe, which is probably why it records a significant number of car fatalities every year and is ranked as one of the most dangerous countries in Europe. Back in 2020, the death toll due to motor accidents was 2,491. Because of stricter restrictions on account of the coronavirus pandemic, the number went slightly down to 2,245.
7. Croatia
According to the European Road Safety Observatory report, Croatia reports the highest number of car fatalities per million inhabitants among 27 European countries. A large number of deaths in the country take place in the dark and on urban roads, which are considered some of the most dangerous roads in Croatia.
6. Italy
In 2021, Italy recorded a total of 2,875 car fatalities, which was a 20% increase when compared to 2020. In addition, 204,728 people were injured due to car accidents, an increase of around 38% in comparison to the previous year. Driving in the country may seem intimidating but following Italian road safety rules can make the journey easy.
