The year 2024 marked a significant deterioration in road safety in Estonia, with a sharp increase in traffic crashes and fatalities across the country.
The negative trend was announced at a road safety discussion in Tallinn at which ROADPOL Council member and Estonia Traffic Police chief Sirle Loigo was present. Official statistics reveal that 1,914 road crashes involving human casualties were recorded— an increase of 190 incidents compared to 2023. Tragically, 69 people lost their lives in these crashes, 10 more than the previous year, while 2,156 individuals sustained injuries, reflecting a rise of 214 cases.
Trend
Several key risk factors contributed to the surge in fatal crashes, including excessive speed, impaired driving, distractions, and the failure to use safety equipment. The highest number of crashes in the past decade was recorded in March, May, August, October, and November, signaling an alarming trend in road safety. The summer months in 2024 witnessed a significant rise in crashes, with June, July, September, and December recording the highest number of fatalities—34 in total.
Types
Single-vehicle crashes continued to be the dominant type of road incident, comprising 43% of all fatalities in 2024. The number of such crashes has been on the rise since 2020, with contributing factors including poor weather conditions, excessive confidence in familiar environments, and driver fatigue. Additionally, the rate of collisions saw a sharp increase, becoming one of the primary causes of fatal crashes.
Influence
Despite increased enforcement efforts, impaired driving remains a significant issue. The police conducted 1.2 million sobriety checks—nearly 20% more than in 2023. Nevertheless, authorities recorded nearly 6,400 cases of drivers exceeding the legal alcohol limit, a rise of 100 incidents compared to the previous year. One-third of e-scooter riders and 15% of cyclists involved in crashes were found to be under the influence. Alarmingly, crashes involving intoxicated motorists resulted in 121 injuries and at least 18 deaths.
Surveillance
Enforcement agencies documented over 89,000 traffic violations in 2024, alongside 2,700 criminal offenses related to road safety. Automated monitoring systems registered approximately 321,000 infractions, marking a significant 23% increase from the previous year. “Over 200,000 of these violations were detected by mobile speed cameras alone. However, the police do not plan to purchase additional mobile systems. Instead we are focusing on the development of self-measuring patrol cars capable of detecting a wide range of offenses, including seat belt violations, distracted driving, traffic light infractions, and dangerous maneuvers—all without the need for physical police stops“, Sirle Loigo highlighted. “The evidence in photo format will be sent to a database, where a fine notice will be automatically generated. Police will then focus on offenses that require immediate intervention”, Loigo explained. She also emphasized that while new technology is on the horizon, its full implementation requires substantial preparatory work: “Our current information system is outdated, and its capacity has reached its limit. We hope to have a new system ready within two to three years, enabling much broader use of automated enforcement. However, legal amendments are necessary, and we are actively working on those.”
Despite discussions about the potential benefits of average speed cameras, Loigo clarified that police are not currently considering investing in them, and that responsibility for installing stationary cameras largely falls on road owners like municipalities and the national Transport Administration.