The International Transport Forum (ITF) is launching a project to develop a 10-year National Road Safety Strategy for Ukraine.

The initiative was requested by Ukraine’s Ministry for Development of Communities and Territories. This will be the first of several projects implemented in cooperation between the Ministry and the ITF.

More than 3300 people died in road crashes in Ukraine in 2024, according to the National Police of Ukraine. The number of all crashes involving licensed transport (buses and trucks), according to the State Service of Ukraine for Transport Safety, increased by almost 25% in 2024 in a year-on year comparison with 2023.

The new National Road Safety Strategy will be carried out through the ITF’s Common Interest Group for Transport in Ukraine (CIG4U), together with the road safety charity EASST. It will lay the foundation for a significant reduction in the number of road fatalities over the next decade.

The new National Road Safety Strategy will be based on the Safe System Approach – a globally recognised methodology that helps to reduce the number of severe road crashes and save lives. The approach is rooted in data-driven decision-making and shared responsibility between government institutions and society.
The Strategy will be directly linked to Ukraine’s National Transport Strategy 2030, identifying road safety as a key factor for sustainable socio-economic development and national reconstruction.

An important priority will also be inclusiveness and accessibility – ensuring access to jobs, education, healthcare and other services for people with reduced mobility, through modern, convenient, and barrier-free transport infrastructure.

Implementation of the National Road Safety Strategy is planned to start in 2026.

Serhiy Derkach, Deputy Minister for Communities and Territories Development of Ukraine, said:

“Road safety is a matter of life and health for Ukrainians. Developing this Strategy, and above all, ensuring its practical implementation, will help prevent deaths and injuries on our roads. We see successful international examples of such strategies in action, proving their effectiveness and necessity. We are grateful to our partners at the International Transport Forum, and especially to Sweden, for their readiness to work together with us on this important project.”

Andreas Carlson, Minister of Transport and Housing, Sweden, co-chair of the ITF Common Interest Group for Transport in Ukraine (CIG4U), said:

“Sweden is proud to stand with Ukraine in building a safer transport future. The Safe System approach was born from the belief that no death on the road is acceptable. The work for Ukraine's new National Road Safety Strategy reflects our shared commitment to protect lives, even in the face of adversity."

Young Tae Kim, ITF Secretary General, said:

“Every life lost on Ukraine’s roads is a tragedy - and an avoidable one. I am glad that ITF will support its valued member country in developing this new National Road Safety Strategy, which will lay the foundation for safer, more inclusive mobility and help Ukraine protect its most precious asset: its people.”