Economic growth, motorization level, traffic safety: are they related (experience of EU countries)

Abstract

The purpose of the research paper is to observe and analyze how the economic growth of EU countries is accompanied by the growth of motorization rate and fatalities during the last decades in terms of inventory number of motor vehicles and accidents in road traffic. The research methodology was statistical analysis from the year 2000 to the year 2019 of economic growth, motorization rate in the EU countries, and the accidents. In the research paper, the quantitative analysis and comparison methods are applied. The research paper shows that in the EU countries of higher income levels, the rate of increase in motor vehicles is lower than the decline in fatalities per motor vehicle, and in countries of low-income levels the rate of increase in motor vehicles is higher than the decline in fatalities per motor vehicle. The research paper demonstrates that countries with different levels of economic development have different motorization levels and there are differences on decline in fatalities per motor vehicle level. This is the first paper that analyses different EU countries' motorization rates and fatalities during the last decades.