Newly released data shows that the number of people killed on roads in Germany has risen again, underlining ongoing challenges in achieving sustainable improvements in road safety across Europe.

Long-term, Germany has achieved major reductions in road deaths over decades. However, in recent years progress has stagnated, with no sustained downward trend.

Stats

According to figures published by Statistisches Bundesamt, a total of 2,814 people lost their lives in road traffic collisions in 2025 — an increase of 44 fatalities compared to the previous year. While the number of injured remained broadly stable at around 366,000, the number of seriously injured decreased by 4% to approximately 48,400, marking the lowest level since records began in 1991.

In total, the police recorded around 2.5 million road traffic crashes in 2025, a figure similar to that of 2024. Of these, approximately 2.2 million incidents involved only material damage.

Concern

The rise in fatalities has been described as a warning signal by the TÜV-Verband, which has expressed concern that progress in road safety is stagnating. Traffic safety expert Fani Zaneta emphasised that Germany is currently losing momentum in its efforts to improve road safety outcomes. She reiterated that the “Vision Zero” approach — aiming for zero road deaths — is achievable, but only through consistent and decisive implementation of safety measures.

Germany has committed, through its national road safety programme for 2021–2030, to reduce the number of road fatalities by 40%. This would equate to approximately 1,540 fewer deaths per year. However, current trends suggest that additional efforts will be required to meet this target.

Key areas identified for improvement include infrastructure design, enforcement of traffic regulations, speed management, and the accelerated deployment of effective vehicle safety technologies.

Users

More detailed data covering the period from January to November 2025 indicates that fatalities have increased across most categories of road users. There was a 4% rise in deaths among both car occupants and cyclists. Particularly sharp increases were recorded among users of light motorised vehicles requiring insurance plates, such as mopeds, where fatalities rose by 28%, and e-scooters, which saw an increase of 25%. In contrast, the number of fatalities among motorcycle and motor scooter users declined by 8%, showing that trends can vary significantly between different transport modes.

Disparities

Significant regional differences continue to characterise road safety outcomes in Germany. In the states of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and Brandenburg, the number of road deaths exceeded 50 per million inhabitants, well above the national average of 34. In contrast, urban regions such as Berlin and Hamburg recorded significantly lower figures, with 10 and 11 fatalities per million inhabitants respectively. Nordrhein-Westfalen also remained below the national average, with 26 deaths per million inhabitants. These differences underline the importance of targeted, region-specific interventions, particularly in rural areas where higher speeds and infrastructure characteristics often contribute to increased risk.

Fragility

While Germany has achieved long-term reductions in road fatalities over recent decades, the recent upward trend — observed in three of the four years following the COVID-19 pandemic — highlights the fragility of these gains. For ROADPOL, the findings reinforce the need for sustained enforcement, evidence-based policymaking, and continued investment in road safety measures. Achieving meaningful reductions in fatalities requires a comprehensive approach that combines infrastructure, enforcement, vehicle technology, and road user behaviour. The data serves as a reminder that progress in road safety cannot be taken for granted, and that renewed efforts are essential to move closer to the goal of zero fatalities on European roads.