In a year of mixed signals – with progress at EU level slowing even as cities and national governments pressed ahead – ETSC worked to defend Europe’s hard-won vehicle safety standards against the threat of mutual recognition in EU-US trade negotiations, to close the Individual Vehicle Approval loophole letting oversized US pick-ups onto EU streets, and to ensure decisions on assisted driving are guided by evidence rather than industry pressure. From championing the 30 km/h urban speed revolution – with Greece becoming the second EU country after Spain to adopt a default limit – to managing the EU Road Safety Exchange programme on behalf of the European Commission, ETSC remains the independent voice for road safety in Europe.

The report also celebrates key milestones: Norway’s 2025 PIN Award as Europe’s safest country for road users, landmark PIN reports exposing the under-reporting of serious injuries and the overlooked toll of work-related road deaths, and a major win as Italy introduced mandatory alcohol interlocks following years of ETSC Safe and Sober advocacy. It showcases our award-winning LEARN! traffic safety education project and the launch of TRUST, a new EU-funded initiative growing a positive road safety culture across Europe. Discover how ETSC and our partners are working every day to prevent road deaths and serious injuries.

P.18 EU policy: Driving Licence Directive – the final deal After more than two years of negotiations, EU institutions reached a final political agreement on the revised Driving Licence Directive in March 2025. There were some wins for road safety. A probationary period of at least two years will apply to all new drivers in the EU. Driving bans imposed in one Member State will, in many cases, apply across the entire EU - closing a long-standing loophole that allowed drivers banned in one country to keep driving in another. And people dependent on alcohol can now be admitted to alcohol interlock rehabilitation programmes – something the previous Directive had explicitly (and bizarrely) prohibited.

P.25 Tackling drink and drug driving Around 25% of all road deaths across the EU are alcohol-related, and a growing share involve illegal or prescription drugs that impair driving. ETSC aims to contribute to the reduction of alcohol- and drug-related road deaths and injuries by advocating for appropriate regulatory measures at EU and national level, and through the identification and promotion of best practices. In 2025, ETSC’s Safe and Sober project brought policymakers, police, medical professionals and international experts together for three national events on drink-driving and the use of alcohol interlocks: in Warsaw (23 January), Budapest (13 May) and Athens (3 November). Each event reviewed the national drink-driving picture and explored how alcohol interlocks - devices fitted to vehicles that prevent the engine starting if the driver has been drinking - can be used both as a preventive measure and as an alternative to a driving ban. Experts from Belgium, Norway and Sweden shared lessons from their established programmes. In May, ETSC and the Finnish Road Safety Council (Liikenneturva) hosted a seminar in Helsinki on regulating drug driving, bringing together experts from Finland, Sweden, Spain and the Netherlands to share experiences on enforcement strategies, detection technologies, penalties and rehabilitation. New ways of tackling drug driving are being developed and implemented across Europe, and a more comprehensive approach is beginning to take shape. Thanks in part to ETSC advocacy and exchange events of this kind, Italy adopted legislation in September 2025 introducing mandatory alcohol interlocks for drink-driving offenders as an alternative to a driving ban.