More than 23.000 people were killed in traffic accidents on motorways in 16 European Union countries between 1999 and 2008. This number corresponds to 7% of all traffic accident fatalities in those countries. There were 2.699 traffic accident fatalities on motorways in 1999, and the number fell by 39% by 2008. The total number of traffic accident fatalities in the 16 European Union countries also fell significantly over the same decade, by 33%. Although the overall number of road accident fatalities shows a rather steady decrease, the trend for motorway fatalities has more variable. The most significant reduction of the number of fatalities on motorways in the 16 countries occurred between 2002 and 2004 and between 2006 and 2008. It is noted though that in five countries (Greece, The Netherlands, Poland, Sweden and United Kingdom) there is significant number of fatalities recorded on non-specified road network type (unknown whether they occurred on motorway or non-motorway network). (Author/publisher)
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