Grim road death toll pushes reforms

Greece continues to grapple with alarmingly high road fatality rates, as traffic accidents remain a daily tragedy. To make matters worse, there were, according to the SOS Traffic Crimes Association, 38 hit-and-run incidents in July and August, 74% of which occurred in urban areas.

In 2023, Greece recorded 637 road deaths, or 61 deaths per million residents, placing it among the five worst EU countries for traffic fatalities - far above the EU average of 46 per million.

Despite some progress in the last decade, road safety experts are pushing for urgent reforms. One key initiative is the proposed reduction of urban speed limits to 30 km/h, part of a broader overhaul under Greece's National Road Safety Strategic Plan (2021-2030). This plan, aligned with the EU's Vision Zero strategy, aims to eliminate road deaths entirely by 2050, with a 50% reduction target by 2030.