Romania has taken a new step toward addressing one of its most persistent public safety challenges, as representatives of public institutions, businesses and NGOs signed a National Road Safety Pact aimed at reducing traffic casualties and improving road safety policies. The initiative was launched during the event "The Same Street. The Same Responsibility" held at the Romanian Parliament.

The agreement, signed by 60 stakeholders, outlines strategic commitments focused on reducing the number of road victims and strengthening cooperation among institutions and civil society. The initiative took place during Romania’s second National Road Safety Week (18–24 May 2026).

The move comes against a concerning backdrop. Preliminary data presented during the event show that four people die every day on Romanian roads. In 2025 alone, road accidents claimed 1,293 lives, while another 3,125 people suffered serious injuries. Although fatalities declined by nearly 13% compared with 2024, authorities stress that progress remains insufficient.

Romania continues to rank among the worst-performing countries in the European Union in terms of road safety. According to European road safety statistics, the country has consistently recorded the highest or among the highest road fatality rates per million inhabitants in the EU. Despite recent improvements, the gap compared with the European average remains substantial, underlining the scale of the challenge facing authorities and society alike.

Among the leading causes of serious road accidents in 2025 were illegal pedestrian crossings (16%), failure to adapt speed to road conditions (15%), and failure to yield right of way (9.5%).

Speaking at the event, officials emphasized that road safety can no longer be viewed as an unavoidable consequence of traffic growth but as a shared responsibility requiring coordinated action. The newly signed Pact includes five strategic priorities: reducing road casualties in line with the EU’s Vision Zero objective for 2050, strengthening road education, improving traffic discipline, ensuring permanent institutional cooperation and investing in safer infrastructure.

The event also saw the launch of the White Charter for Road Safety, a strategic document bringing together best practices, future scenarios and long-term objectives. Participants further discussed practical solutions during an open debate titled "Voice from Traffic – What Must Change Now", bringing together authorities, experts, journalists and public figures to identify concrete measures for achieving Romania’s goal of halving road deaths by 2030.

The initiative reflects growing recognition that improving road safety requires more than enforcement measures alone. It also depends on education, infrastructure investments and a broader cultural shift toward responsible behavior in traffic — an area where Romania still has significant ground to recover.