Comparative analysis of road traffic accidents in Visegrad cooperation countries

Abstract

This paper analyses and compares road transport statistics of the Visegrad countries (Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary, V4). Using data from the past two decades, the study not only reveals trends, similar or different patterns in the number of road accidents, especially road fatalities, in the four countries mentioned above, but also analyses the factors that determine them. For example, to what extent has the number of vehicles increased and what improvements have been made to the road networks? What were the root causes of road accidents? The reasons are not giving way in the first place, but a similar proportion of overspeeding can also be observed.

The number of accidents is affected by both short-term and long-term effects. For example, in 2020, coronavirus lockdowns and the consequent drop in traffic generally had a significant dampening effect. Subsequently, however, the number of cases increased again. In any case, in terms of long-term trends, the number of traffic fatalities has decreased significantly over the last two decades. Against this background, we can also identify a number of international programs. For example, 'Vision Zero' or the 'First and Second White Papers', as well as many other factors that have a significant impact on road accidents.

However, the statistics of the Visegrad countries are still higher than the EU average. In 2022, compared to the EU average of 46, the number of people killed in traffic accidents per million people was 55 in Hungary, 51 in Poland, and 49 in Slovakia and the Czech Republic. In addition, the statistics of previous years show greater dispersion than recent data, and the results observed in the reduction of the number of accidents also differ from each other. In these respects, Poland stands out among the V4, so it is worth examining what measures have significantly reduced the number of traffic fatalities in Poland, by almost 60% compared to the early 2000s.

Despite long-term downward trends, road traffic mortality is still very high across Europe. In the European Union, 20,640 people lost their lives in traffic accidents in 2022, an increase of 4% compared to 2021. This shows that road safety and the desire to reduce the number of accidents, especially fatalities, remain topical and of paramount importance. The study therefore offers a broader European outlook and a detailed analysis of V4 data formulates proposals to supplement existing accident prevention programmes, which could further reduce the number of road accidents resulting in personal injury and fatalities.