In a recent EU report on road safety, Luxembourg ranked fourth, with 27 traffic fatalities per million inhabitants. This puts the Grand Duchy well below the European average of 45. While this is a positive development for Luxembourg’s EU representative Anne Calteux, she cautions against over-optimism. With Luxembourg’s small population, individual accidents can have a significant impact on the statistics.
“There is a clear improvement in the number of fatalities”, she explains. “At the same time, however, the number of seriously injured people remains concerning, and much still needs to be done to meet the EU’s targets. By 2030, road deaths and serious injuries should be brought down by 50 per cent.”
Traffic density plays a special role in Luxembourg. With around 250,000 commuters each day, congestion, time pressure, and distractions, especially from mobile phones, increase the risk of accidents, according to Calteux.
At a European level, the causes of serious accidents are well documented. Excessive speed remains a leading factor, contributing to around a third of fatal accidents. Other major causes include driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs and distractions from smartphones or other screens.
The EU Commission regularly analyses best practices among Member States. Spain, for example, has introduced widespread 30 km/h zones in urban areas, which studies show greatly increase survival chances in accidents. Other countries focus on stricter enforcement, consistent penalties, and safety-focused infrastructure.
Luxembourg also sees room for improvement. Transport Minister Yuriko Backes emphasised that every road death is one too many. The EU report may be positive, but is no reason for complacency, she stated.
The government has presented a second national road safety plan, bringing together stakeholders from the police, education sector, and public administration. One key element is a revision of the penalty code, as Luxembourg currently has some of the lowest fines for serious offences.
In addition to stricter penalties, the strategy focuses on awareness-raising. Campaigns, prevention measures, and improved speed control are intended to reduce accidents further. After serious incidents, such as the fatal crash in Feulen last September, which killed five people, new speed cameras or other safety measures are also being considered.
The association Road Safety welcomes Luxembourg’s strong ranking, but with caution. “We have come a long way; we were always among the worst, and now we’re ahead. That is satisfactory and encouraging. But we must continue to work on it”, says President Paul Hammelmann.
Alongside stricter penalties, Road Safety emphasises prevention. “As an organisation, we have never pushed for sanctions alone but stood for education and awareness”, he explains. However he welcomed the government’s plans to punish serious violations with stronger measures. He also suggests implementing alcohol interlocks, which are devices that prevent a vehicle from starting if the driver is above the legal alcohol limit. This, he explains, has worked well abroad and could be used as an additional safety measure.
Comparisons between the best-performing countries in Europe show that no single measure is enough. Sweden’s Vision Zero strategy implements infrastructure designed to prevent serious accidents, while Spain has achieved results with 30 km/h urban zones. Other countries invest in intelligent transport systems or stricter alcohol checks.
The EU encourages Member States to turn towards such models. For Luxembourg, this could mean implementing existing measures more consistently and enforcing them more rigorously on the ground.
The conclusion rests on the positive fact that Luxembourg’s ranking is strong, and road deaths have decreased by 12 per cent over the past five years. At the same time, data show there is still much work to be done to improve road safety and meet EU targets by 2030.
