Europe’s roads are changing. Alongside cars and motorcycles, streets are increasingly shared with cyclists, pedestrians, e-scooter users, public transport and other forms of mobility. As travel patterns evolve, safe and responsible behaviour remains essential for everyone using the road.
Despite continued progress, road accidents still claim around 20,000 lives every year across Europe. Improving road safety remains a shared responsibility involving road users, policymakers, infrastructure providers and other stakeholders.
Insurance Europe and its member associations support initiatives that raise awareness of road safety risks, encourage responsible behaviour and help reduce accidents across all modes of transport.
Why road safety is important for insurers
Road accidents have a significant human and economic cost, affecting individuals, businesses and communities across Europe.
Insurers support recovery through financial protection and claims services, while also contributing to prevention efforts that encourage safer behaviour and help reduce risks on the road. Strengthening prevention reduces claims costs, improves long-term insurability and supports a more resilient and sustainable mobility system.
Safety begins with sobriety
A joint initiative by Insurance Europe and national partners, including ANIA (Italy), KFV (Austria), the Slovenian Traffic Safety Agency and Slovenian Insurance Association, UNSAR (Romania), SLASPO (Slovakia), the Association of Bulgarian Insurers, and road safety partners in France.
Driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs puts lives at risk. Even small amounts can impair judgement, reduce concentration and slow reaction times, increasing the likelihood of serious road accidents.
Through the Safety begins with sobriety campaign, Insurance Europe and our members raise awareness of the dangers of drink- and drug-driving and encourage responsible behaviour on the road.
The campaign promotes a simple message: stay sober when driving. Choosing sobriety helps protect you, your passengers and other road users, contributing to safer roads across Europe.
Download the campaign materials (PDF):
Bulgarian French German Italian Romanian Slovakian Slovenian
National e-scooter rules
E-scooters have very rapidly become a popular mode of transportation and are expected to maintain their appeal in the years ahead. However, the use of e-scooters can be dangerous, first and foremost for the e-scooter user, but also for other road users. Promoting awareness about safety rules is therefore crucial for accident prevention. This is what this video, available in English, Bulgarian, French, German, Hungarian, Italian, Maltese, Romanian, Slovenian and Swedish, does. As the rules governing e-scooters vary across Europe, the video is accompanied by informative factsheets detailing national traffic regulations specific to each respective country (Austria, Bulgaria, Finland, Hungary, Italy, Malta, Romania, Slovenia, Sweden and Switzerland).
Together, these resources aim to equip e-scooter riders with essential information, fostering safer and more responsible riding practices across Europe.
The factsheets were last updated in January 2026.
*Insurance Europe and its members are not liable for any changes in national legislation that may occur between the annual updates of the national factsheets.