21/02/23 (Agence Europe) – Around 20,600 people died on EU roads in 2022, the European Commission said on Tuesday 21 February. According to these preliminary figures, this represents an increase of 3% compared to 2021. However, it’s a decrease of almost 2,000 deaths compared to 2019, the pre-pandemic baseline year. The figures also show different trends between the Member States, with decreases of 30% in Poland and Lithuania, 23% in Denmark and stagnation in Ireland, Spain, France, Sweden and the Netherlands. Furthermore, the figures once again point out that the most vulnerable users in accidents in urban areas are still pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists, who account for 70% of the fatalities. It should be noted that the EU has set a target of zero road fatalities by 2050 (see EUROPE 12805/19) and has missed its targets for 2030 (see EUROPE 12835/31). (TM)