The most dangerous EU countries for tourists by car have been named

Car tourism in the EU is an extremely common phenomenon. It is a fast, comfortable, and relatively inexpensive alternative. It would seem that Europe has perfect roads, so there is no need to worry. In fact, some of the most popular vacation destinations are not entirely safe routes.

Analyzing the latest data from the European Transport Safety Council (ETSC), experts have identified the countries with the highest number of road deaths per million inhabitants. Such vacation destinations as Croatia, Portugal, and Italy are among the ten most dangerous.

According to the study, in 2023, the number of deaths on certain roads was 79% higher than the EU average. Bulgaria is recognized as the most dangerous country in Europe for drivers.

Outside of the capital Sofia, many travelers choose to rent a car to explore lesser-known routes. But with an extensive rail network and affordable prices compared to most of Europe, traveling in Bulgaria is recommended by train. Although Bulgaria's trains are somewhat slow and not very comfortable, they are reliable and cheap. To travel to the Rila, Pirin and Rhodope mountain ranges, it is better to choose the Rhodope narrow-gauge railway.

Bulgaria is not the only European country that lags behind in road safety. It is followed by Romania, where 1545 people died on the roads in 2023, which is 78% more than the EU average. Romania also has high-quality rail connections to international routes, including Bulgaria and Hungary.

Serbia and Latvia are in third and fourth place, with 66% more road deaths. Public transportation in Serbia and Latvia is cheap and reliable. A new high-speed train line connecting the Serbian capital Belgrade with Budapest in Hungary is planned to be extended in the future to Skopje and Athens.

Holiday hotspots were also among the most dangerous to drive: Croatia was in fifth place (56% more road fatalities), followed by Portugal (32% more) and Greece (31% more).

Italy is in ninth place with 3,094 road fatalities in 2023, or approximately 54 per million inhabitants. This is 15% more than the EU average. This is followed by Lithuania and Poland.

In 2023, 20,418 road deaths were recorded in the EU, which is 45.5 per million inhabitants.

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