Reference metadata describe statistical concepts and methodologies used for the collection and generation of data. They provide information on data quality and, since they are strongly content-oriented, assist users in interpreting the data. Reference metadata, unlike structural metadata, can be decoupled from the data.
Eurostat, the Statistical Office of the European Union
1.2. Contact organisation unit
[4D1_E3] Eurostat - Transport and Energy
1.3. Contact name
Confidential because of GDPR
1.4. Contact person function
Confidential because of GDPR
1.5. Contact mail address
5, Rue Alphonse Weicker L-2721 Luxembourg LUXEMBOURG G-D
1.6. Contact email address
Confidential because of GDPR
1.7. Contact phone number
Confidential because of GDPR
1.8. Contact fax number
Confidential because of GDPR
2.1. Metadata last certified
29 April 2025
2.2. Metadata last posted
29 April 2025
2.3. Metadata last update
29 April 2025
3.1. Data description
The road accident data are taken from the CARE database (CARE - Community database on Accidents on the Roads in Europe), which is entirely managed by the Directorate General for Mobility and Transport (DG MOVE). The legal basis for CARE is the Council Decision on the creation of a Community database on road accidents (93/704/EC, OJ No L329 of 30 December 1993, pp. 63-65).
CARE is a Community database on road accidents resulting in death or injury (no statistics on damage-only accidents). The tables included in Eurobase are limited to the number of fatalities, as the definition of injuries is not entirely harmonised across the Member States.
The major difference between CARE and most other existing international databases is the high level of disaggregation, i.e. CARE results are based on detailed data on individual accidents as collected by the Member States. This database at Community level would make it possible to identify and quantify road safety problems, evaluate the efficiency of road safety measures, determine the relevance of Community actions and facilitate the exchange of experience in this field.
National data sets are integrated into the CARE database in their original national structure and definitions, with confidential data blanked out. The Commission provides a framework of transformation rules allowing CARE to provide compatible data.
The following data are available:
Persons killed in road accidents by sex
Persons killed in road accidents by category of persons involved
Persons killed in road accidents by age
Persons killed in road accidents by type of road
Persons killed in road accidents by type of vehicle
Road accidents by NUTS 3 regions
For road accident fatalities by type of road, and notably the classification of accidents on motorways, which may also occur in urban areas, please note the following definitions:
Rural: Outside urban area & no motorway/unknown
Urban: Inside urban area & no motorway/unknown
Motorway: Outside urban area/Unknown area & motorway
Unknown: Urban area unknown & motorway unknown.
Injury Road Accident (referred as Accident) concerns an incident on a public road involving at least one moving vehicle and at least one casualty (person injured or killed). It is noted, however, that the definition of 'injury' varies considerably among the various EU countries, thus affecting the reliability of cross-country comparisons.
Fatally injured persons are those killed immediately or dying within 30 days of a road accident, as a result of injury accident, excluding suicides.
Several countries, apply correction coefficients in order to respect what is commonly called 'death at 30 days' principle. This principle means that persons dying up to 30 days after the occurrence of the accident are indeed counted as road accident fatalities. After these 30 days, the reason for dying might be declared differently. Certain countries have used different concepts in the past, making it necessary to apply a correction coefficient. This may result in data containing decimals. As the measurement unit is the physical person, it has been preferred to display the data without decimals by applying rounding. Totals may, therefore, appear slightly different.
The countries applying correction factors are Spain (from 1997 to 2010), France (from 1994 to 2004), Italy (up to 1998) and Portugal (from 1998 to 2009).
Further information on the correction factors applied are available under point 8.1 of the CADaS Reference Guide available under: Road safety transport document.
For road accident fatalities by type of vehicle, please note that the position OTH (‘Other’) in the dimension VEHICLE corresponds to pedestrians.
More information can be obtained in Part 2 Road Information of the document with the CARE database variable description. The link to this document is given in Section 3.2.
For the Netherlands, the number of fatalities registered by the police is under-reported and equates to around 85% of the total number of fatalities published nationally. In 2023, the overall total was 684, while the police-based figure in the CARE database was 608.
3.2. Classification system
Data in the CARE database are collected according to the principles of a Common Accident Data Set (CADaS). Information on variables can be obtained through the CADaS reference guide, available at this link: Road-safety.transport - document.
3.3. Coverage - sector
Not applicable.
3.4. Statistical concepts and definitions
See 3.2
3.5. Statistical unit
The data used in the domain are collected from various data providers at accident level and aggregated by DG MOVE.
3.6. Statistical population
All fatalities reported by the individual Member States, according to the 'death at 30 days principle' (see also 4. Unit of measure).
3.7. Reference area
CARE data cover the EU Member States and EFTA countries.
3.8. Coverage - Time
1991 is the first reference year for several countries. Data availability generally increases over time. The data available in the Eurobase tables are available from 1999 onwards.
3.9. Base period
Not applicable.
The unit of measure is the physical person or the road accident.
As described in Section 3.1, the fact that, in certain cases, the sum of the sub-categories does not add up to the total is linked to the application of correction coefficients, in order to respect the so-called ‘death at 30 days’ principle.
Further information on the correction factors applied are available under point 8.1 of the CADaS Reference Guide available under: Road-safety.transport document.
Data are initially collected by the Member States at accident level. Annual datasets are compiled by the Directorate General for Mobility and Transport (DG MOVE).
6.1. Institutional Mandate - legal acts and other agreements
Data for these tables have been taken directly from the CARE database. Its management and maintenance are in the hands of DG MOVE. Eurostat and DG MOVE have an agreement enabling Eurostat to disseminate CARE data.
The CARE data collection is based on the Council decision of 30 November 1993 on the creation of a Community database on road accidents (Council Decision 93/704/EC, OJ No L329 of 30 December 1993, pp. 63-65).
6.2. Institutional Mandate - data sharing
Not applicable.
7.1. Confidentiality - policy
Regulation (EC) No 223/2009 on European statistics (recital 24 and Article 20(4)) of 11 March 2009 (OJ No L 87, p. 164), stipulates the need to establish common principles and guidelines ensuring the confidentiality of data used for the production of European statistics and the access to those confidential data with due account for technical developments and the requirements of users in a democratic society.
7.2. Confidentiality - data treatment
Followed by DG MOVE in their internal treatment.
8.1. Release calendar
Following DG MOVE.
8.2. Release calendar access
Following DG MOVE.
8.3. Release policy - user access
In line with the Community legal framework and the European Statistics Code of Practice, Eurostat disseminates European statistics on Eurostat's website (see item 10 - 'Accessibility and clarity') respecting professional independence and in an objective, professional and transparent manner in which all users are treated equitably. The detailed arrangements are governed by the Eurostat protocol on impartial access to Eurostat data for users.
Please consult free data online (Transport/Multimodal data/Transport safety).
10.4. Dissemination format - microdata access
Only for selected users and in agreement with DG MOVE.
10.5. Dissemination format - other
Not applicable.
10.6. Documentation on methodology
Complete documentation on the variables collected, their definition as well as a glossary is available in the CADaS Reference Guide: Road safety transport document.
10.7. Quality management - documentation
See 10.6
11.1. Quality assurance
Statistics on road accident fatalities in individual countries are generally available at aggregated level only. If more detailed data are made available at national level, they often cannot be compared with those of other countries, due to methodological differences. Data for the CARE database are increasingly sent according to the recommendations set out for a Common Accident Data Set (CADaS). This consists of a minimum set of standardised data elements, which allows for comparable road accident data to be available for the EU and EFTA countries. The CADaS can be implemented on a voluntary basis at the national accident collection systems and be gradually adopted by the EU countries. Thus, progressively, more and more common road accident data from the various countries will be available in a uniform format. In this way, CARE, the European database with disaggregated data on road accidents, will gradually contain more and more compatible and comparable data, allowing for more reliable analyses and comparisons across the EU countries.
The recommendations for a Common Accident Data Set (CADaS) refer to the set of data to be voluntarily transmitted by each country to the EU, which should be derived from the national road accident data collection system. This means that the EU countries will not be legally obliged to adopt the CADaS, and can continue using their national systems, however, if they wish they can enhance them, in order to be able to provide the CADaS data to the EU. In case a country does not wish to adopt the CADaS, it should continue transmitting national road accident data to the EU in the current format.
11.2. Quality management - assessment
No information available.
12.1. Relevance - User Needs
Statistics on road accident fatalities in individual countries are often available at aggregated level only. If more detailed data are made available, they often cannot be compared with those of other countries, due to methodological differences.
The tables available in Eurobase containing a selection of CARE data are harmonised and comparable throughout.
12.2. Relevance - User Satisfaction
No information available.
12.3. Completeness
Completeness of data is somewhat lacking for several countries for the early years of the CARE database.
13.1. Accuracy - overall
Overall accuracy of data is good as the data collection for the CARE database is 'mature' and concepts and definitions are applied by all countries. The application of correction factors to obtain the 'death at 30 days' figures has become increasingly unnecessary, as all countries apply this principle.
Ii should be noted that the quality checks are performed by DG MOVE. Both horizontal and vertical checks (time series checks and inter-dataset checks) are carried out. These quality checks detect data that could possibly be in error. Further investigation is then performed on data that fail these checks. The internal consistency of the data is evaluated as high.
All reported errors (once validated) result in corrections of the disseminated data. Reported errors are corrected in the disseminated data as soon as the correct data have been validated and extracted from the CARE database. Data may be published even if they are flagged as provisional for certain countries. They are replaced with the final data once they are validated and extracted from the CARE database. Whenever new data are provided and validated, the already disseminated data are updated.
18.1. Source data
Data are collected and/or compiled by the competent national authorities at single accident level (police, ministries, statistical authorities). These datasets are then transmitted to DG MOVE.
18.2. Frequency of data collection
Source data are collected continuously. National authorities compile the information and send the information annually.
18.3. Data collection
Data are retrieved from the CARE database and then transmitted to Eurostat.
18.4. Data validation
Data validation procedures are applied by DG MOVE before data become available in CARE. In order to ensure compliance with data available through DG MOVE’s website, Eurostat does not apply any supplementary validation procedures.
18.5. Data compilation
Data compilations are performed by DG MOVE.
In addition, Eurostat may compile certain EU totals that are not directly available from the various reports that can be downloaded from DG MOVE’s website. In such cases, missing country level data can be taken from the regional table (see 3.1) and used to calculate the EU aggregate.
18.6. Adjustment
Not applicable.
Not applicable.
The road accident data are taken from the CARE database (CARE - Community database on Accidents on the Roads in Europe), which is entirely managed by the Directorate General for Mobility and Transport (DG MOVE). The legal basis for CARE is the Council Decision on the creation of a Community database on road accidents (93/704/EC, OJ No L329 of 30 December 1993, pp. 63-65).
CARE is a Community database on road accidents resulting in death or injury (no statistics on damage-only accidents). The tables included in Eurobase are limited to the number of fatalities, as the definition of injuries is not entirely harmonised across the Member States.
The major difference between CARE and most other existing international databases is the high level of disaggregation, i.e. CARE results are based on detailed data on individual accidents as collected by the Member States. This database at Community level would make it possible to identify and quantify road safety problems, evaluate the efficiency of road safety measures, determine the relevance of Community actions and facilitate the exchange of experience in this field.
National data sets are integrated into the CARE database in their original national structure and definitions, with confidential data blanked out. The Commission provides a framework of transformation rules allowing CARE to provide compatible data.
The following data are available:
Persons killed in road accidents by sex
Persons killed in road accidents by category of persons involved
Persons killed in road accidents by age
Persons killed in road accidents by type of road
Persons killed in road accidents by type of vehicle
Road accidents by NUTS 3 regions
For road accident fatalities by type of road, and notably the classification of accidents on motorways, which may also occur in urban areas, please note the following definitions:
Rural: Outside urban area & no motorway/unknown
Urban: Inside urban area & no motorway/unknown
Motorway: Outside urban area/Unknown area & motorway
Unknown: Urban area unknown & motorway unknown.
Injury Road Accident (referred as Accident) concerns an incident on a public road involving at least one moving vehicle and at least one casualty (person injured or killed). It is noted, however, that the definition of 'injury' varies considerably among the various EU countries, thus affecting the reliability of cross-country comparisons.
Fatally injured persons are those killed immediately or dying within 30 days of a road accident, as a result of injury accident, excluding suicides.
Several countries, apply correction coefficients in order to respect what is commonly called 'death at 30 days' principle. This principle means that persons dying up to 30 days after the occurrence of the accident are indeed counted as road accident fatalities. After these 30 days, the reason for dying might be declared differently. Certain countries have used different concepts in the past, making it necessary to apply a correction coefficient. This may result in data containing decimals. As the measurement unit is the physical person, it has been preferred to display the data without decimals by applying rounding. Totals may, therefore, appear slightly different.
The countries applying correction factors are Spain (from 1997 to 2010), France (from 1994 to 2004), Italy (up to 1998) and Portugal (from 1998 to 2009).
Further information on the correction factors applied are available under point 8.1 of the CADaS Reference Guide available under: Road safety transport document.
For road accident fatalities by type of vehicle, please note that the position OTH (‘Other’) in the dimension VEHICLE corresponds to pedestrians.
More information can be obtained in Part 2 Road Information of the document with the CARE database variable description. The link to this document is given in Section 3.2.
For the Netherlands, the number of fatalities registered by the police is under-reported and equates to around 85% of the total number of fatalities published nationally. In 2023, the overall total was 684, while the police-based figure in the CARE database was 608.
29 April 2025
See 3.2
The data used in the domain are collected from various data providers at accident level and aggregated by DG MOVE.
All fatalities reported by the individual Member States, according to the 'death at 30 days principle' (see also 4. Unit of measure).
CARE data cover the EU Member States and EFTA countries.
Data are initially collected by the Member States at accident level. Annual datasets are compiled by the Directorate General for Mobility and Transport (DG MOVE).
Overall accuracy of data is good as the data collection for the CARE database is 'mature' and concepts and definitions are applied by all countries. The application of correction factors to obtain the 'death at 30 days' figures has become increasingly unnecessary, as all countries apply this principle.
The unit of measure is the physical person or the road accident.
As described in Section 3.1, the fact that, in certain cases, the sum of the sub-categories does not add up to the total is linked to the application of correction coefficients, in order to respect the so-called ‘death at 30 days’ principle.
Further information on the correction factors applied are available under point 8.1 of the CADaS Reference Guide available under: Road-safety.transport document.
Data compilations are performed by DG MOVE.
In addition, Eurostat may compile certain EU totals that are not directly available from the various reports that can be downloaded from DG MOVE’s website. In such cases, missing country level data can be taken from the regional table (see 3.1) and used to calculate the EU aggregate.
Data are collected and/or compiled by the competent national authorities at single accident level (police, ministries, statistical authorities). These datasets are then transmitted to DG MOVE.
