Georgia is developing a National Road Safety Strategy for 2026–2030 and a corresponding action plan for 2026–2027, RFE/RL’s Georgian service reports.
The document states that, according to studies, seatbelt use by rear-seat passengers plays a vital role in protecting the lives and health of both the passengers themselves and those in the front seats. The strategy also notes that “it is planned to establish an appropriate regulatory framework and ensure an effective enforcement mechanism on this issue.”
In Georgia, seatbelt use is currently mandatory for front-seat occupants. The fine for a violation is 50 GEL (around $20), with 10 points deducted from the driver’s license (out of a 100-point total). Despite the penalties, 141,427 such violations were recorded in 2025.
The new strategy cites a study showing that when a rear-seat passenger wears a seatbelt, the mortality rate in traffic accidents drops threefold—by 25% to 75%. Rear seatbelt use also reduces the risk of death for front-seat occupants (by 137%).
The document provides statistical data covering 2010 through 2021. Over this period, the lowest number of traffic accidents occurred in 2011 (4,486), while the fewest fatalities were recorded in 2021 (449).
- Over the past 10 years, between 2015 and 2025, 5,324 people died in road accidents in Georgia.
- In 2025 alone, 469 people were killed in road traffic accidents in Georgia, including 28 children and 164 pedestrians.
- Such high figures for traffic accidents and casualties as in 2025 have not been recorded since 2018, with the death toll also reaching its highest level since 2019.
- Forty-three percent of traffic accidents occur in Tbilisi, while the highest number of fatalities was recorded in Imereti.
- Following Imereti, high road mortality rates are observed in Tbilisi and Kakheti.