Last year more than 26,000 people throughout the European Union were killed as a result of driving accidents, according to Eurostat.
Although that figure is high, the number of fatalities on EU roads has been falling significantly every year for the last two decades. In 1995 nearly 64,000 people lost their lives because of negligent driving.
The highest number of deaths occurred in France (3,461), followed by Germany (3,459), Italy (3,428) and Poland (2,938).
Proportionately, however, the greatest risk was posed in Bulgaria where there were 10 victims for every 100,000 people. Latvia, Romania, Lithuania and Croatia tailed shortly behind.
The lowest rates of road fatalities were in Malta, the UK, Denmark, the Netherlands and Ireland.
Portugal recorded 593 deaths on its roads in 2015 which was the equivalent of 5.7 deaths per 100,000 inhabitants.
Not only were there 7% fewer deaths than the year before, but there rate was also an incredible 78% decrease in the number of fatalities from its high water mark in 1995.
This remarkable improvement is much greater than the EU average score of a 59% decrease in deaths from 1995 to 2015.
Driving seems also to have improved in Spain. Although 1,689 people were killed in driving accidents, the proportion per inhabitant was 3.6. The country also experienced a 70% improvement from 1995.
Eurostat also reported that in 2015 there had been 283 people killed in air accidents in EU territory and 963 people in rail accidents.
