Road accidents in August 2026: fewer incidents, but the 8-month toll rises 6.2%

According to official data published by the Institute of Statistics (INSTAT), based on reports from the General Directorate of the State Police, 139 road accidents were recorded in August 2026.

The incidents left 191 people dead or injured — down from August 2025, when 159 accidents left 229 casualties.

Despite the decline in the last month of summer, the overall trend for 2026 remains upward. Between January and August 2026, the number of road accidents rose 6.2% compared with the same period a year earlier, reaching 983 accidents with 1,378 people killed or injured.

Main factors: driver violations, evening hours and…

The human factor remains the leading cause of road incidents. In August 2026, 86.3% of accidents were caused by driver behavior, such as speeding or ignoring road signs.

An analysis by age group and time of day shows young people and evening hours carry the main road risk. Road users aged 25–34 account for the highest number of incidents — 31.7% of all accidents.

The most problematic time slot is 19:00 to 24:00, which recorded 20.1% of the month’s accidents. Monday saw the highest number of accidents with 18.0%, while Wednesday and Friday had the lowest, at 11.5% each.

Geographic distribution: Tirana and Durrës lead

By county, Tirana continues to account for the largest share of accidents nationwide. In August 2026, the capital recorded 33 accidents with 38 casualties, while over the 8-month period (January–August), Tirana counted 369 accidents with 457 casualties (up from 270 accidents in the same period of 2025).

After Tirana, the Durrës region saw a sharp rise in August with 24 accidents and 36 casualties (up from 8 accidents in August 2025), followed by Lezhë with 21 accidents. On the other hand, regions such as Berat and Dibër recorded no deaths or injuries in August 2026.

“During the January–August 2026 period, the number of road accidents rose 6.2% compared with the same period a year earlier,” INSTAT’s report states, noting that “86.3% of road accidents happened as a result of driver behavior.”