The true extent of the road accident problem in Yemen is questionable. Some agencies and citizens believe that the safety situation is very critical while others disagree with this belief. Both sides however agree that the problem is such that it requires considerable attention. The aim of this research is to provide a better understanding of this problem by investigating its real dimensions. This includes the identification of the shortcomings in road accident data, the cost of accidents and modelling road accident fatalities. Two field surveys were employed to check the shortcomings in the official records. A method for adjusting accident data was adopted. The adjusted data were used in the cost analysis and in the modelling of road accident fatalities. The research was concluded by suggesting a set of conclusions and recommendations. It is believed that the results of this research will help engineers, researchers and decision makers in the field of road safety to adopt suitable safety programmes consistent with the actual size of the problem.