Most HLDI studies use insurance data to evaluate highway safety outcomes. Occasionally, HLDI studies quantify the insurance costs associated with major weather events such as Hurricane Katrina, Super Storm Sandy, or the hail storms of 2011. Studies of the cost of weather events serve as public information but also are a quality control tool. The geographic reach of the events is known and, consequently, analysts can examine the reported loss experience, relative to what is known about the events, to make certain there are no gaps in the HLDI data feed. Major sporting events such as National Football League (NFL) games represent significant changes to local traffic patterns. Of the 31 NFL stadiums, 15 can accommodate more than 70,000 spectators. Additionally, on game days thousands of people are employed at those stadiums. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the relationship between NFL games and collision claims in the zip codes where stadiums are located and the zip codes that surround them. The study found that collision claim frequencies in and around the stadium zip codes increased on game days (5.8 percent). Collision claims frequencies were even higher if the home team lost. (Author/publisher)
Abstract