Europe’s best road trip with sense of total freedom is also safest destination

The school summer holidays are in full swing and if you’re planning a getaway with the kids this year then you might want to make note.

There’s nothing better than the wind in your hair, singing along to your favourite songs and playing car games with the kids to pass the time by.

However, more than 1.35 million road casualties take place globally every year but which are the safest countries for a summer road trip?

Well, motoring experts at Moneybarn Car Finance have looked at motoring data from around the world.

They looked at factors including fuel and charging prices, road quality, Google searches for road trips and more, to determine the most popular destinations for a road trip around the world this summer.

They found Iceland Iceland has the world’s best road safety record for a road trip this summer. This is thanks to the country having the lowest road traffic death rate at two per 100,000 people.

The stats reflect the Nordic island nation’s public awareness campaigns on safe driving to minimise accidents.

Meanwhile, there are over 31,000 annual searches for “road trip in Iceland”, showing a high interest in people wanting to travel to the country to experience its natural beauty.

Let’s not forget that low fuel charging costs of £1.83 per litre and EV charging costs of £0.12 per kWH which will make your travel cost-effective.

Scoring silver in the ranking was Norway. The country has a low road traffic death rate of 2.1 per 100,000 people as well as a high road quality score of 4.5/7 making Norway a destination to visit by car.

Fuel in Norway costs £1.64 per litre and the country has EV charging stations every 3.9 kilometres.

Switzerland was named the third safest place for a summer road trip. This is thanks to low fuel costs of £1.69 per litre and EV charging costs of £0.27 per kWh.

They also have one of the lowest death rates in the world with 2.2 per 100,000 people.

Moneybarn said about the findings: “Traffic congestion is the last thing you want to be stuck in on your summer road trip, yet drivers in cities like Bucharest, Istanbul, Lodz and Dublin are losing between 68 and 106 hours, and up to €164 in wasted fuel per year from standing still in congestion. That said, some basic forward planning is key to a smooth journey.

“Plan your route using navigation apps like Google Maps, Waze or Apple Maps, which provide real-time traffic updates and suggest alternative routes to avoid congestion. Also, check local traffic reports for any incidents or road closures along your planned route, so you can plan around these.

“Avoid setting off at peak rush hour, which generally ranges from 8am to 9:30am and 4:30pm to 6pm in most metropolitan countries. Traffic is usually lighter early in the morning, before 7am or later at night, post 8pm.

“Always factor in weather conditions and be aware of seasonal traffic patterns, especially in the summer around tourist hotspots and on weekends or on public holidays.”