Deadly roads in Hungary? This is how safe we really are on the go

Fresh Eurostat figures paint a sobering picture of road safety across Europe, with more than 20,000 people losing their lives on EU roads in 2023, and Hungary being on the lower half of the table.

While the continent has launched numerous traffic-safety initiatives in recent years, stark regional disparities remain. Central, Eastern and South-Eastern Europe continue to register the highest fatality rates – and Hungary, despite sitting in the statistical mid-range, still performs worse than the EU average.

A new analysis by CHART by Pénzcentrum highlights both long-standing structural issues and emerging accident patterns across Hungary’s road network. According to the report, speeding, the deteriorating condition of rural roads, overloaded national routes and insufficient pedestrian protection continue to play a major role in fatal collisions. In addition, changing mobility habits are contributing to new types of accidents that require targeted intervention.

Europe’s dangerous hotspots

Across Europe, an average of sixty people die on the roads every day. The 2023 data shows that the most alarming statistics are found in the south-eastern part of the continent. Bulgaria’s Severozapaden region recorded a staggering 166 fatalities per million inhabitants – the highest rate in the European Union. Nearby regions in Romania and Greece also reported well above 100 deaths per million.

At the other end of the scale, road safety in some parts of the EU has reached exemplary levels. The Finnish Åland Islands and Spain’s autonomous city of Melilla both reported zero road deaths in 2023, while major urban regions also performed well. Brussels recorded just five deaths per million inhabitants, Vienna six and Berlin nine, confirming that well-developed urban infrastructure can significantly reduce fatality rates.

• Beware! These are the Hungarian ‘death roads’

Hungary in the European context

Hungary registered 472 road deaths in 2023, corresponding to 49 fatalities per million inhabitants – slightly above the EU average of 46. Although far from the worst-performing regions in Europe, the country’s internal disparities remain significant.

Budapest and Pest County continue to be the safest areas. The capital recorded 44 deaths (26 per million), while Pest County registered 64 (48 per million), both showing a mild improvement compared to previous years. Western Hungary – including Central, Western and Southern Transdanubia – reported moderate figures, with around 50–60 fatalities in each region.