Source: ["EU vehicles are much safer than U.S. vehicles due to better standards. The U.S. wants its standard to be considered ‘equivalent’ for import purposes. \[...\] This would be a catastrophic mistake, and the consequences would be measured in the deaths on EU roads.  \[...\] The U.S. government under President Trump is pursuing an aggressive trade policy towards the European Union, threatening tariffs of 25 percent on cars and other goods. \[...\] A fundamental difference in policy approach between the two markets is that EU vehicle safety policy takes account of all road users, not just those protected inside motor vehicles. The EU has had pedestrian protection requirements affecting vehicle front-end design for cars and vans since the mid-2000s, which have been upgraded in the years since. The United States has no such requirements."](https://www.planetizen.com/news/2025/04/134729-inferior-us-vehicle-standard-threaten-european-safety)

See also: ["In 2023, road traffic accidents claimed the lives of 20,380 people in the EU, a 1.3% decrease compared with 2022 (20,652 fatalities). In 2020, the number of fatalities had dropped sharply to 18,830 fatalities, which was attributed to COVID-19 mobility restrictions affecting passenger transport. Although fatalities increased in 2021 and 2022, they did not return to pre-pandemic levels."](https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/web/products-eurostat-news/w/ddn-20250429-1?utm_source=chatgpt.com)

In the US, more than twice as many people die in motor vehicle accidents as in the EU (~43k deaths vs ~20k deaths, annually). During and after the pandemic, US motor vehicle accident deaths surged despite fewer cars on the road; EU motor vehicle accident deaths continued their long-term decline.