Safety* performance* indicators*(SPIs)* are* measures* reflecting* the* operational* conditions* of* the* road* traffic* system* that* influence* the* system’s* safety* performance.* Within* the* European* project* SafetyNet,* SPIs* were* developed* for* seven* road* safetyLrelated* areas:* alcohol* and* drugs;* speed;* the* use* of* protective* systems;* daytime* running* lights;* vehicles*(passive* safety);* roads* and* trauma* management.* A* common* procedure* for* the* development* of* SPIs* in* each* area* was* applied,* starting* with* a* definition* of* unsafe* operational* conditions* of* the* traffic* system* and* continuing* with* a* conversion* of* this* information* into* measurable* variables.* Based* on* a* literature* survey,* a* relationship* between* the* problem* area* and* road* safety* was* ascertained.* Characteristics* of* the* system's* performance* were* analyzed* aiming* to* select* those* which* can* be* quantified.* The* data* were* collected* in* cooperation* with* national* experts* from* 29* European* countries* enabling* to* verify* the* applicability* of* the* SPIs* developed* and* to* conduct* country* comparisons.* It* was* demonstrated* that,* in* some* areas,* eg* the* use* of* protective* systems,* sufficiently* good* data* are* available* in* Europe,* while* in* other* areas,* eg* speed* and* alcohol,* data* quantity* and* quality* vary* strongly.* For* passive* vehicle* safety,* trauma* management* and* roads,* completely* new* approaches* were* developed* for* the* SPIs'* estimation.* Given* the* data* are* collected* on* a* common* basis,* SPIs* can* become* valuable* tools* in* future* knowledgeL* and* dataLdriven* policyLmaking* in* Europe.**