Costa Rica’s road death rate is running up to five times higher than that of some Western European countries, a gap that road safety specialists say shows how far the country still has to go on enforcement, driver behavior, and modern traffic management. Recent analysis presented by experts linked to the Federated College of Engineers and Architects of Costa Rica placed the country between 17.5 and 19 traffic deaths per 100,000 inhabitants, compared with about 3 in Sweden.
The warning comes as Costa Rica continues to post grim numbers on its roads. In 2025, our country recorded 903 deaths in traffic crashes, more than the 873 homicides registered that same year. Local reporting based on National Insurance Institute data also said 52,266 people were injured in 46,949 traffic accidents last year, with motorcyclists accounting for a large share of the victims.
For specialists, the problem is not limited to one cause. The factors most often tied to fatal crashes include speeding, improper passing, distracted driving tied to cellphone use, and driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs. Congestion, poor road conditions, and weak traffic control add to the danger, especially in areas where the vehicle load has outgrown the road network.
Experts say human behavior is involved in about 95% of serious crashes. They also argue our country has moved backward from the 1990s, when Costa Rica recorded about 10 road deaths per 100,000 inhabitants. The current rate, they say, shows that earlier hopes of moving closer to safer international standards have not been met.
Another issue is weakened institutional capacity. Specialists have pointed to cuts affecting road safety programs and fewer traffic officers on the ground. Recent Costa Rican reporting said the number of transit police officers has fallen sharply over the past decade, leaving fewer personnel to cover a growing vehicle fleet and expanding pressure points on major highways and urban routes.
The debate has also turned toward technology. At a technical workshop organized by the CFIA, specialists called for wider use of intelligent transportation systems, stronger automated enforcement, and an end to manual toll collection in favor of electronic no-stop systems. They also pushed for more road safety education, redesign of driver testing, and a broader effort to rebuild public transport and reduce pressure on the road network.
Costa Rica’s numbers stand out even more when placed beside Europe’s safest countries. The European Commission said Sweden remained the bloc’s safest country for roads in 2024, with 20 deaths per million inhabitants, while the European Union average was 44 per million. Costa Rica’s rate is far above those figures, and the comparison is fueling fresh calls for the government to treat road deaths as a national public safety emergency rather than a routine transport problem.
