This paper presents the main results of the - Sweden, the United Kingdom and the Netherlands - (SUNflower) study, a comparison of the development of road safety in the SUN countries. The safety records of these three countries are the best among the countries in the world and all three countries made impressive progress in recent decades. The aim of the study was to learn what exactly made road safety improve in the SUN countries and what possibly could be transferred to another SUN country or other countries. The methodology used has proven to be valuable for the comparison of the road safety levels in the SUN countries and probably also will be useful for safety comparisons of other countries. Moreover, the methodology and the findings of such a comparative study can offer guidance for remedial action in other countries. The SUNflower methodology can be used as a benchmark for the safety performance in different aspects of road safety. As a follow-up of the Sunflower study an extended study (SUNflowerplus6) started, comprising nine European countries. SUNflowerplus6 uses the same methodology. All three SUN countries have achieved similar levels of safety through continuing planned improvements in these levels over recent decades. Policy areas targeted have been similar, but policies implemented have differed at a detailed level. Three 'headline' policies (seat belt wearing, drinking and driving and vehicles safety) resulted in halving the number of fatalities between 1980 - 2000. These reductions are not repeatable. All three countries have ambitious policy plans to improve road safety further. In Sweden the Vision Zero, in the Netherlands Sustainable safety and in the United Kingdom the strategy 'Tomorrow's roads - safer for everyone' are the guidance for further action. If the plans are implemented a further reduction in fatalities of about one third is foreseen in the SUN countries in the coming decade.
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