Abstract
Transport accidents and injuries present a cost to the European Union estimated at around 2% of GDP - around twice its entire annual budget for all activity. The European target of a 50% cut in annual road deatths by 2010 [2,6] can only be reached if traffic law is enforced more effectivley (Fig. 1). Safety performance indicators provide a means by which policymakers can ensure that their actions are as effective as possible and represent the best use of public resource.
Among the road safety performance indicators most commonly used are those that relate to behavioural characteristics such as speed levels, the rate of drink driving and the use of seat belts. In addition, a number of infrastructure, vehicle or traumarelated indicators are relevant. These provide a more straightforward means of monitoring the impact of a measure or programme and enable early, target-oriented adjustments of specific interventions. In addition, they allow for a more detailed understanding of the reasons for safety problems than is possible by looking at crash frequency alone.
Keywords: road accidents, road safety, road safety performance indicators