In 2021–2025, there were 1,437 injury road accidents involving a pedestrian in Estonia, in which 68 people died – 25% of all road deaths. 34% of pedestrian accidents happened in the dark, but they accounted for 46% of the deaths: in the dark, 6.8 people died per 100 accidents, in daylight 4.1. A dark road without street lighting is the most dangerous – 27.7 deaths per 100 accidents. Outside built-up areas, 17.5 people died per 100 accidents, in built-up areas 3.2. 39% of pedestrian accidents happened on a pedestrian crossing.
Deaths in pedestrian accidents by year
Purple = died in the dark. The last year is incomplete.
Darkness (2021–2025)
Accidents by month: daylight and darkness
From October to February, 56% of pedestrian accidents happen in the dark; May–August 11%.
Time of day: daylight and darkness
In winter, the evening rush hour (16:00–20:00) falls in the dark.
How severe: deaths per 100 accidents
On roads without street lighting, a pedestrian accident is much more often fatal.
In and outside built-up areas
| Daylight | Dark | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Accidents | Killed | per 100 | Accidents | Killed | per 100 | |
| In built-up areas | 770 | 23 | 3.0 | 389 | 14 | 3.6 |
| Outside built-up areas | 101 | 13 | 12.9 | 70 | 17 | 24.3 |
“Per 100” = deaths per 100 accidents. Outside built-up areas there are fewer pedestrian accidents, but they are much more severe: speeds are higher and roads are often unlit.
Where and how (2021–2025)
Where: on a crossing or elsewhere
How: the situation
Pedestrian accidents on the map
2021–2026. Yellow = daylight, purple = dark, grey = unknown, red = fatal.
Municipalities (2021–2025)
| Municipality | County | Accidents | Killed | Accidents in the dark | per 10,000 a year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tallinn | Harju | 743 | 15 | 35 % | 3.3 |
| Tartu linn | Tartu | 103 | 5 | 25 % | 2.1 |
| Narva linn | Ida-Viru | 78 | 4 | 27 % | 3.0 |
| Pärnu linn | Pärnu | 69 | 0 | 32 % | 2.6 |
| Kohtla-Järve linn | Ida-Viru | 42 | 1 | 31 % | 2.6 |
| Jõhvi vald | Ida-Viru | 27 | 3 | 24 % | 3.4 |
| Viljandi linn | Viljandi | 22 | 1 | 35 % | 2.6 |
| Rakvere linn | Lääne-Viru | 21 | 0 | 32 % | 2.7 |
| Viimsi vald | Harju | 20 | 0 | 44 % | 1.7 |
| Võru linn | Võru | 20 | 1 | 47 % | 3.4 |
| Maardu linn | Harju | 19 | 0 | 41 % | 2.3 |
| Sillamäe linn | Ida-Viru | 12 | 0 | 42 % | 2.0 |
| Saue vald | Harju | 12 | 1 | 45 % | 0.9 |
| Põlva vald | Põlva | 11 | 0 | 9 % | 1.7 |
| Haapsalu linn | Lääne | 11 | 1 | 9 % | 1.7 |
| Lääne-Harju vald | Harju | 11 | 2 | 55 % | 1.6 |
| Keila linn | Harju | 10 | 0 | 30 % | 1.8 |
| Harku vald | Harju | 10 | 0 | 20 % | 1.0 |
| Türi vald | Järva | 10 | 3 | 70 % | 1.9 |
| Saaremaa vald | Saare | 9 | 2 | 62 % | 0.6 |
| Valga vald | Valga | 9 | 0 | 22 % | 1.2 |
| Rae vald | Harju | 9 | 0 | 44 % | 0.7 |
| Tapa vald | Lääne-Viru | 8 | 0 | 50 % | 1.5 |
| Narva-Jõesuu linn | Ida-Viru | 7 | 2 | 20 % | 3.3 |
| Rakvere vald | Lääne-Viru | 7 | 1 | 43 % | 2.4 |
| Saku vald | Harju | 7 | 0 | 17 % | 1.2 |
| Võru vald | Võru | 7 | 1 | 57 % | 1.4 |
| Paide linn | Järva | 6 | 1 | 17 % | 1.2 |
| Jõelähtme vald | Harju | 6 | 2 | 0 % | 1.5 |
| Märjamaa vald | Rapla | 6 | 0 | 20 % | 1.7 |
Reflectors and crossings: rules in brief
- Reflector: in the dark and in poor visibility, a pedestrian on the road must use a reflector or a light (Traffic Act § 22(8)). A compliant reflector is visible from at least 150 metres in dipped headlights (§ 2(11)).
- Outside built-up areas where there is no pavement, walk on the left shoulder – facing oncoming traffic (§ 22(4)).
- If a pedestrian crossing, crossing point or intersection is within 100 metres, cross the road there (§ 24(2)).
- At an uncontrolled crossing, judge the distance and speed of approaching vehicles before stepping out and make sure the driver has seen you (§ 25(7)).
- Drivers must approach an uncontrolled crossing slowly enough not to endanger a pedestrian who has stepped or is about to step onto it, and stop if necessary (§ 35(4)).
Source: Traffic Act (in Estonian).
Data: Transport Administration, injury road accidents involving a pedestrian. Daylight or darkness and street lighting are recorded by the police for each accident; the location comes from the “road object” and “road element” fields, the situation from the accident diagram type. Deaths and injuries are counted for the whole accident – the data do not say whether the pedestrian or someone else died. Whether the pedestrian had a reflector is not recorded.
Data as of 30 September 2026