Parliamentary committee backs National Road Safety Strategy 2026–2030
Committee approves draft 2026–2030 road safety strategy with targets to halve crashes, fatalities and serious injuries by 2030.
The parliamentary Committee for Defence and Security has approved the draft National Road Safety Strategy 2026–2030 and sent it on to plenary after a presentation by Interior Minister Panche Toshkovski.
Ambitious targets — halve deaths and accidents by 2030
Minister Toshkovski told committee members that, "By August 27, 2026 the number of road fatalities in the country stands at 59," a drop of more than 35 percent compared with the same period last year when 96 fatalities were recorded, and noting that the total for 2025 reached 132. He also reminded lawmakers that 142 people died on the roads in 2024. The minister stressed that Macedonia still posts a nearly two‑fold higher road mortality rate than the European Union average — about 43–44 deaths per million inhabitants in the EU versus roughly 78–80 in the country.
The primary objective of the strategy, Toshkovski said, is to save lives. To that end the document sets measurable targets for 2030: reduce the number of crashes by 50 percent compared with 2024 (from approximately 8,500 to around 4,250), cut the number of fatalities in half (from 142 to 71), and lower the count of seriously injured from roughly 1,100 to 550.
Beyond casualty targets, the draft strategy aims to raise the use of seat belts and protective helmets to over 90 percent. It outlines a package of actions spanning governance, infrastructure, vehicle standards, education and emergency response.
Key priorities listed in the proposal include improving road safety governance, developing safer road infrastructure, strengthening vehicle safety requirements, promoting traffic culture and education, and upgrading the emergency medical response after crashes. Concrete measures described in the draft include establishing a national intelligent traffic monitoring and management system, conducting regular safety audits of roads, improving technical roadworthiness checks for vehicles, and continuing education for all road users.
After the debate the Committee confirmed the text of the draft strategy and forwarded it for further consideration at a plenary session of the Assembly.
Photo: press material from the event
