Annual Report 2020 Road Safety in Austria

The first Austrian Road Safety Programme (RSP) was published in 2002 and was followed in 2011 by the start of the Road Safety Programme 2011–2020. The Austrian Federal Ministry for Climate Action, Environment, Energy, Mobility, Innovation and Technology (BMK) has been publishing an “Annual Report on Road Safety in Austria” since 2007. The report offers an overview of road safety work carried out in Austria in the reporting year as well as information on current trends in Austrian road accident statistics. Throughout the duration of the Road Safety Programme 2011–2020, the report served as a basis for achieving the defined targets, setting corresponding measures and adapting the programme as and when required.

The year 2020 was dominated by the Covid-19 pandemic. It was also the year that marked the end of the Austrian Road Safety Programme 2011–2020. At the start of this programme, the following targets were set: 50 % fewer fatalities, 40 % fewer serious injuries and 20 % fewer personal injury accidents on Austria’s roads than the corresponding averages for the period from 2008 to 2010. These targets were not fully achieved. While the number of fatalities decreased in 2020 by around 44 %, although this was presumably also attributable to the reduced traffic volumes due to the Covid-19 restrictions and lockdowns, the targeted decrease in serious injuries was clearly missed. The target for the total number of road accidents was met in 2020, but the corresponding figures in the years up to 2019 were well below target.

Road safety work is an ongoing process. Continued efforts are required after the Road Safety Programme 2011–2020 to further reduce the numbers of accidents, fatalities and injuries on Austria’s roads. The Austrian Road Safety Strategy for the years 2021 to 2030 that has been developed in recent years builds on the two previous Austrian Road Safety Programmes. In doing so, it develops the previous policy further and adopts an innovative approach based on the “Safe System” method and the current mobility trends. The intention thereby is to enable and ensure a regular adaptation of the strategy to new developments through the implementation of specific measures.

Annual Report 2020 "Road Safety in Austria" (PDF, 2 MB)