Comparative study on road and rail safety in freight transport: Safety levels for rail freight are substantially higher

On behalf of UIP and VPI Germany, hwh Gesellschaft für Transport-und Unternehmensberatung mbH carried out an analysis comparing safety in road and rail freight in Europe for the period 2006 till 2010. The study examines accident statistics records of rail freight in comparison to road freight in general and focuses on the numbers of fatalities and injuries suffered as a result of technical failures in vehicles or rolling stock. The study confirms that existing safety levels for rail freight are substantially higher than they are for road freight.