Where to go with children by car: the safest vacation option in Europe

Summer vacation is upon us and many parents are considering going on vacation with their children. One of the most exciting, fun, and informative options is traveling by car.

However, some parents are deterred from such leisure activities by the thought of more than 1.35 million road accidents that occur annually in the world. For such parents, Express has published a rating of popular European countries with the safest roads.

To compile the list, experts from an insurance company specializing in motor insurance analyzed factors such as fuel prices and tolls, road quality, Google searches for car travel, and more. The result was a rating for travelers.

Iceland received the highest score. This Nordic country has the world's best road safety record for road travel. The mortality rate in road accidents is the lowest here – two deaths per 100,000 people.

The Icelandic authorities are making significant efforts to inform the public about safe driving to minimize accidents. At the same time, search engines receive more than 31,000 queries on the topic of "road trip in Iceland" annually. This shows a high interest from people who want to travel to this country to enjoy its natural beauty.

In addition, Iceland has a fairly low level of fuel costs. You will have to pay about 95 UAH per liter. If you drive an electric car, 1 kWh will cost you about 6.5 UAH.

In general, the top ten safest countries for road trips this summer are as follows:

1. Iceland - 6.25 points
2. Norway - 6.64
3. Switzerland - 5.34
4. Sweden - 5.77
5. Great Britain - 4.57
6. Japan - 6.59
7. Denmark - 4.95
8. Germany - 4.66
9. Spain - 5.86
10. Finland - 5.38

Norway received silver in the ranking. In particular, because the country has a low mortality rate due to road accidents – 2.1 per 100,000 people, as well as a high road quality score of 4.5/7. This makes Norway a good place for a road trip.

Switzerland came in third. This is due to the low cost of fuel and charging electric vehicles. It also has one of the lowest mortality rates in the world – 2.2 per 100,000 people.

The report explaining this ranking states: "Traffic jams are the last thing you want to get stuck in during a summer trip, yet drivers in cities like Bucharest, Istanbul, Lodz, and Dublin lose between 68 and 106 hours and up to €164 a year in traffic."

Experts advise planning your route in advance using navigation programs such as Google Maps, Waze, or Apple Maps. They provide real-time traffic updates and suggest alternative routes to avoid traffic jams. Also, be sure to check local traffic reports for information on any incidents or road closures along your planned route.

Try to avoid traveling during rush hour, which usually lasts from 8:00 to 9:30 and from 16:30 to 18:00 in most metropolitan areas. Traffic is usually less congested in the early morning, before 7:00, or late in the evening, after 20:00. Also, always consider weather conditions and seasonal traffic patterns, especially in summer in crowded places, as well as on weekends and holidays.

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