About 102.000 people were killed in single vehicle accidents in the 28 European Union countries between 2006 and 2015, representing almost one third of all road accident fatalities in these countries. Single vehicle collision is a type of road accident in which only one vehicle and no other road user is involved. The objective of this research is the analysis of characteristics of single vehicle accidents in European countries through the use of the EU CARE database with disaggregate data on road accidents, as well as of other European data sources (e.g. Eurostat). Time-series data from the EU countries over a period of 10 years (2006-2015) were correlated with basic safety parameters, such as mode of transport, type of road, presence of junction, lighting and weather conditions, seasonality and person related characteristics like age and gender. The results of the analysis allow for an overall assessment of the safety level concerning single vehicle accidents in Europe in comparison to other types of accidents, thus providing useful support to decision makers working for the improvement of safety in the European road network.