Hamburg Records Only 21 Traffic Fatalities in 2025

Hamburg recorded a historically low number of traffic fatalities in 2025. As reported by police on February 23, 22 people lost their lives. Compared to the previous year, when 30 people died, this represents a decrease of nine fatalities, or 30 percent. The long-term improvement trend is clear – as recently as 2013, the number of fatalities was 38. Thus, 2025 was the safest year in the city's history in this regard since record-keeping began in 1953. A key and concerning conclusion from the data is the structure of the victims. Exactly half, or 11 people who died last year, were cyclists. This group included both traditional and electric bicycle users. Furthermore, the overall number of accidents involving cyclists not only did not fall but increased. In 2025, 3710 such incidents were recorded, representing an 8.4 percent increase compared to 2024. This means that despite the overall improvement in safety, cyclists remain an exceptionally vulnerable group. Police point out that the annual statistics were significantly influenced by several serious, tragic accidents. One of them occurred in June in the Altona district, where two female cyclists died as a result of a collision with a car. Traffic accident statistics in Germany have their origins in the mid-20th century, during the period of post-war reconstruction and dynamic growth in motorization. The first comprehensive compilations at the federal level appeared in the 1950s. At the peak, in the 1970s, the number of fatalities in all of West Germany exceeded 20,000 per year. The turning point came in the 1970s, especially with the introduction in 1974 of the mandatory seat belt law and recommendations for speed limits on motorways, which initiated a consistent, decades-long downward trend.The authorities' reaction to the publication of the data combines cautious optimism with an appeal for vigilance. Hamburg police spokesperson, Holger Vehren, commented: „Diese Zahlen sind erfreulich, aber kein Grund zur Euphorie.” (These numbers are pleasing, but no reason for euphoria.) — Hamburg police spokesperson, commenting on accident statistics He emphasized that there are still too many accidents in which people are seriously injured. In response to the concerning data regarding cyclists, police announced an intensification of controls. The actions will focus on frequent collision sites and will primarily concern the enforcement of speed limits, maintaining the required distance when overtaking bicycles, and proper parking, which often blocks cycle paths. Road safety experts indicate that to solidify the positive trend and further protect vulnerable road users, constant investment in infrastructure is key. This mainly involves expanding a safe and coherent network of cycle paths, physically separated from car traffic. Education for road users, both drivers and cyclists, and promoting mutual respect also remain a priority. This data fits into the nationwide trend of declining road fatalities, although on the scale of all of Germany, the number of fatalities in 2025, according to preliminary estimates from the Federal Statistical Office, still exceeded 2500 people. Hamburg, as a city-state, has particular capabilities in shaping its own transport and road safety policy, which is visible in these statistics. Analysts emphasize that the success in reducing fatalities among motorized users does not go hand in hand with improved safety for cyclists, which constitutes a new, pressing challenge for urban planners and law enforcement. Further systemic actions combining infrastructure modernization, law enforcement, and social campaigns are essential.