Road fatalities and related casualties cost an estimated €1.5 billion in 2025, while overall road casualty levels have effectively returned to 2016 figures. The year saw more collisions and a rise in injuries, maintaining pressure on emergency services and the healthcare system and undermining public safety. Economically, the persistent casualty rate represents a significant indirect and direct cost that acts as a negative indicator for public finances and productivity. The pattern suggests a need for renewed, targeted prevention measures, enhanced enforcement and investment in safer infrastructure to reverse the trend and reduce both human and fiscal costs.