Road traffic accidents in Germany resulted in 2,770 fatalities in 2024, according to provisional data released by the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis). This figure represents a slight decrease from the 2,839 deaths recorded in 2023 and is comparable to the 2,788 deaths in 2022.
The total number of individuals injured in road traffic accidents remained close to the previous year’s level, reaching approximately 365,000. This encompasses around 314,400 people sustaining minor injuries and roughly 50,600 suffering severe injuries. The number of severe injuries marks the lowest recorded level since 2024, when detailed data distinguishing between severe and minor injuries first began to be collected. Daily, an average of eight people died and approximately 859 sustained injuries each day due to road traffic incidents.
In total, approximately 2.51 million road traffic accidents were reported in 2024, a marginal decrease from 2.52 million in 2023 (a reduction of 0.3%). This breakdown includes 2.22 million accidents resulting in property damage and 291,000 accidents involving injuries or fatalities (a decrease of 0.4%).
Accidents involving alcohol remained relatively stable, with 35,100 reported in 2024, slightly down from 37,200 in 2023. This level corresponds with the figures observed between 2014 and 2019. On average, one alcohol-related accident occurred every 15 minutes on German roads during 2024.
Tragically, 198 individuals lost their lives and an additional 17,800 were injured in accidents linked to alcohol. As accidents can often be attributed to multiple factors, these figures are often combined with other issues like speeding or failure to yield.
The majority of reported incidents occurred within urban areas, accounting for roughly three-quarters (74%) of all recorded accidents. A significant proportion of injuries, around two-thirds (65%) concentrated within towns and villages.
Conversely, the highest proportion of fatalities occurred on rural roads, largely due to higher speeds outside of urban environments. Approximately 57% of traffic fatalities took place on rural roads, compared to 33% in urban areas and 10% on highways.
Specifically, 1,571 fatalities and approximately 96,500 injuries occurred on rural roads. On highways, 284 lives were lost, including 169 car occupants and 54 commercial vehicle occupants.
An average of 915 people died in road accidents within urban areas, with pedestrians and cyclists experiencing the highest proportion of fatalities. Electric bikes account for a marked portion of those fatalities.
Excessive speed remains the leading cause of fatal traffic accidents. In 2024, 30% of fatalities and 13% of injuries resulted from accidents where at least one person exceeded the speed limit or drove too fast for the conditions. Failure to maintain a safe following distance or yield the right-of-way was also factors in 15% of accidents involving injury or fatality.
The number of children fatally injured in traffic accidents rose to 53 in 2024, with 27,200 children sustaining injuries. Similarly, the number of senior citizens (over 65) who were injured in traffic accidents increased to 53,600 and fatalities within this age group also rose to 1,101, representing 40% of all fatalities.
