Denmark now ranks among the very best in Europe when it comes to road safety, trailing only Sweden and Norway in terms of the lowest number of traffic deaths. Despite that, the country has been crowned with a major European road safety award, presented by the European Transport Safety Council (ETSC) in Brussels.
The recognition came for what might seem like everyday habits, including consistently wearing seatbelts and encouraging cyclists to wear helmets. According to Jakob Bøving Arendt, director of the Danish Road Safety Council, the achievement reflects a joint effort involving a wide range of organisations working together over many years. He noted that the progress was never the result of a single authority acting alone, but rather a shared commitment among the Road Safety Council, the police, municipalities, and the Danish Road Directorate.
Why Denmark won despite trailing its neighbours
Looking purely at the raw number of road deaths, both Sweden and Norway still outperform Denmark. So why did the award go to Denmark this year? The answer lies in the pace of improvement rather than the absolute figures.
Arendt explained that Denmark secured the prize because of an exceptionally strong drop in traffic fatalities in a short period of time, with the number falling by roughly a third in just a few years. If that momentum continues, he suggested the country could eventually reach its long term target of no more than 90 road deaths per year.
No time to rest on success
Despite the international recognition, both the Road Safety Council and the Road Directorate are clear that the work is far from finished. Road safety still needs significant improvement in the years ahead, and several major infrastructure projects are already being planned to address ongoing risks.
Among them, the Road Directorate is set to begin 18 separate road projects along route 26 between Sallingsund and Hanstholm starting in 2027. One of the key initiatives is a new two way cycle path between Ræhr and Tved, an area that is currently seen as both frustrating for drivers and genuinely dangerous for cyclists.
Bettina Rysgaard, chair of the Ræhr residents’ association, described the current situation along that stretch, where drivers regularly have to slow down sharply and manoeuvre around cyclists on a narrow road. She pointed out that a dedicated path would make things easier for everyone, including reducing the risk that a cyclist could one day end up under a truck.
A national investment through 2035
To keep the momentum going, Danish politicians have set aside 700 million kroner for road safety improvements through 2035 as part of the country’s broader Infrastructure Plan 2035. The funding is intended to support projects like the new cycle infrastructure on route 26, alongside other measures across the national road network aimed at further cutting the number of people killed and seriously injured in traffic.
With fatalities already down by a third in just a few years, Danish authorities appear confident that continued investment and cross agency cooperation can push the country even closer to its ambitious safety targets, even as its Nordic neighbours continue to set the pace.
