SHERIDAN, WYOMING - November 28, 2025 - As urban mobility systems evolve and traffic volumes rise, new data from DEKRA's Road Safety Report 2025 show that "Vision Zero" - the target of eliminating road fatalities and serious injuries - is already a reality in hundreds of cities worldwide, with the German city of Detmold now receiving the DEKRA Vision Zero Award 2025 for its outstanding performance.
Vision Zero Moves from Utopia to Measurable Reality
"Vision Zero" - the goal of zero traffic fatalities or, ultimately, serious injuries - is not unattainable. Hundreds of cities around the world have achieved zero road fatalities in at least one calendar year since 2009, according to official national statistics. Among them are now several with around 300,000 inhabitants. The DEKRA Vision Zero Award for the best performance among cities over 50,000 inhabitants has been presented to the German city of Detmold.
Among the cities that have recorded zero road fatalities in at least one calendar year are Ljubljana (Slovenia), Bergen (Norway), Katowice (Poland) and Vigo (Spain), all close to the 300,000-inhabitant mark. Bielefeld in Germany, with more than 300,000 residents, is a new entrant to the list, while Espoo in Finland has achieved zero fatalities in three separate years. For transport authorities, these benchmarks illustrate that a systematic, city-level approach can turn Vision Zero into a practical performance target rather than an abstract aspiration.
DEKRA Road Safety Report 2025 Highlights Global Progress and New Risks
"In the 30 countries our experts have analyzed, a total of almost 1,500 cities have achieved zero traffic deaths at least once, many of them for several consecutive years. This shows that Vision Zero is not a far-off utopia, but a reality that can be achieved today in a local context, if all relevant stakeholders unite around this common goal. Progress in road safety is not a matter of chance, but of dedication, leadership and collaboration," said DEKRA CEO Stan Zurkiewicz at the presentation of the DEKRA Road Safety Report 2025 in Brussels. "The fact remains that every road fatality is one too many. Therefore, everybody must keep up and intensify their efforts towards Vision Zero."
Entitled "The Changing Face of Mobility", the 2025 report looks back at major milestones in road safety while also examining challenges associated with automation, connectivity and electrification. In a video message, EU Road Safety Coordinator Kristian Schmidt said on the report: "I find myself in strong agreement with the key issues you've identified in this year's report. Despite excellent progress, it has decelerated in recent years. Your analysis provides a clear roadmap for where we must focus our attention and resources."
Detmold Wins 2025 Vision Zero Award for Outstanding Track Record
The DEKRA Vision Zero Award has been presented annually since 2016 to a European city of at least 50,000 inhabitants demonstrating particularly strong performance. In eight of the past ten years, Detmold has recorded zero road fatalities in built-up areas, placing it ahead of Krimpenerwaard and Stichtse Vecht (both Netherlands), Woluwe-Saint-Lambert (Belgium) and the German cities of Lüdenscheid, Rheine, Aalen, Herten, Waiblingen, Lingen, Bad Homburg, Langenhagen and Frechen.
Rainer Steffens, head of the EU representation of the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia, accepted the award on Detmold's behalf during DEKRA's annual reception in Brussels. Detmold's mayor Frank Hilker underlined the strategic role of safety in the city's mobility planning: "Road safety is a key issue for us, and we are delighted to receive this wonderful award. We are currently developing a new integrated traffic concept for Detmold, in which road safety will continue to play an important role. The DEKRA Vision Zero Award is both validation of what we have achieved and an incentive and encouragement to keep up our efforts."
Helsinki, Ljubljana and Other Cities Set New Benchmarks
Special recognitions went to Ljubljana, which recorded no road deaths in 2024, and to Helsinki, where no traffic fatalities occurred in the twelve months between July 2024 and July 2025. "This is a big achievement for a city of almost 700,000 people", said the DEKRA CEO. "Although there will not be a zero-fatality calendar year showing in the statistics, this should be an encouragement for all towns and cities to strive for excellence in road safety."
For policymakers, mobility planners and fleet operators, these examples demonstrate that large, dense cities can achieve extended periods without road fatalities if infrastructure, enforcement, vehicle technology and public awareness are aligned under a clear Vision Zero strategy.
Interactive Vision Zero Map as a Planning and Benchmarking Tool
The interactive DEKRA Vision Zero Map consolidates national statistics analyzed since 2014 and shows that more than 900 European towns and cities above 50,000 inhabitants have already achieved zero traffic deaths in at least one year since 2009. Beyond 23 European countries, the map also includes data from the U.S., Canada and Mexico, Colombia and Chile, as well as Japan and Australia.
This tool provides city leaders, transport agencies and safety professionals with:
- International benchmarking on zero-fatality performance.
- Insight into where measures such as speed management, safe infrastructure and enforcement are delivering results.
- A basis for setting realistic, evidence-based road safety targets within broader sustainability and ESG strategies.
For full access to the DEKRA Road Safety Report 2025 and related Vision Zero resources, visit www.dekra-roadsafety.com.