Which countries have the safest roads in the world?

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5 years ago

One road death is always one too many. In fact, according to a November 2016 article by AutoGuide.com, ¹ a road fatality occurs every 30 seconds worldwide, accompanied by 20 injured persons. We all long for safer roads and don’t wish to drive in a war zone. Let’s find out which top 10 countries have the safest roads to drive along.

Poorer Countries Tend To Have Unsafer Roads

Countries that are not as well-developed have more inferior infrastructure than that of rich countries.¹ In addition, safety standards and laws are not adequate in poorer countries.

Norway At Tenth Place

In 2015, Norway was experiencing 3.8 car fatalities per 100 000 people.¹ The World Health Organisation (WHO) estimated Norway had a total of 192 car fatalities in 2015. The WHO considered Norway’s laws on wearing helmets needed considerable improvement.

Spain Is Next At Position 9

A rate of 3.7 road fatalities per 100 000 people occurred in Spain, with a total of 1730 road deaths during 2015. According to the WHO, laws governing drunk driving should be considerably improved.¹

Israel And Singapore Tie At Eighth Place

The WHO estimated that both Israel and Singapore suffered 3.6 car fatalities for every 100 000 people. Although total car fatalities amounted to 197 during 2015, the WHO considered laws governing speeding, drunk driving, as well as the use of child seats, required improvement. ¹

Denmark And The Maldives Are Both At Seventh Place

With 3.5 car deaths per 100 000 people, Denmark and the Republic of the Maldives tied at seventh place. Denmark suffered a loss of 196 road fatalities during 2015, according to the WHO. ¹

The Netherlands reaches position no. 6

The Netherlands experienced 574 road fatalities in 2015, having 3.4 car deaths per 100 000 people. ¹

Switzerland Lies Fifth

In 2015, Switzerland encountered 269 road fatalities, with 3.3 car deaths for every 100 000 people. ¹

The fourth Position Is Occupied By The United Kingdom (Uk)

The larger a country’s population, the greater the road fatalities will be. Although the UK averaged a rate of 2.9 car deaths per 100 000, it still suffered a loss of 1827 people on its roads during 2015. ¹

Lying In Second Place Is Sweden

In 2015, Sweden, with a population of only 9.85 million² compared to the UK’s 65.1 million,³ had only 272 road fatalities. Sweden averaged 2.8 deaths per 100 000 people during 2015.¹

In First Place Is Micronesia

For those of you who don’t know, the Federated States of Micronesia is an independent republic connected to the United States. Micronesia consists of a total of 607 islands in the Pacific Ocean near the equator. In 2016, it had a population estimate of 104 937 people.⁴ According to the WHO, this country experienced 1.9 road fatalities per 100 000 people and 2 road fatalities during 2015.¹

How Do The Above Road Fatality Statistics Compare With South Africa?

Just as a matter of interest, South Africa’s population was estimated to be 55 million⁵ in 2015. With 12 944 road fatalities⁶ occurring during that same year, this would translate to 23.5 road fatalities for every 100 000 people.

How can statistics change perceptions?

Although Micronesia is rated as having the safest roads in the world, this can largely be attributed to its low population. For instance, if it had the same population as that of the UK, which was 65.1 million in 2015, then its road fatalities, at 1.9 per 100 000 people, would translate to 620 fatalities, and not just two.

Thus, although it is difficult to compare apples with pears, the above-mentioned statistics do provide you with some indication of which countries are the safest to drive in. Talking of which – is your car adequately insured? Why not find out more about car insurance from Prime Meridian?

Disclaimer:

This article was prepared by Eric Sandmann in his personal capacity. The views and opinions expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not reflect the views and opinions of Prime Meridian Direct (Pty) Ltd, FSP41040. The views and opinions in the article should not be attributed to anyone but the author unless expressly stated. Nothing in this article should be relied upon as advice, this publication is presented for informational purposes only. No person should act or refrain from acting in reliance on any information found in this article, without first obtaining proper financial advice from the appropriate professional. The author makes no claims, promises or guarantees about the accuracy, or completeness, of any information linked from, referred to or contained in this article. The author reserves the right, to edit and change the content of this article.