In 1988, an estimated 14.8 million motor vehicle crashes involved 47,00 deaths and almost 5,000,000 injuries. More than 4.8 million years of life and functioning were lost. Crash costs totalled $334 billion. They included $71 billion in out-of-pocket costs, $46 billion in wages and household production, and $217 billion in pain, suffering, and lost quality of life. Half of the out-of-pocket costs were property damage costs; the rest were medical, emergency services, workplace, travel delay, and administrative costs. Employers paid 20% of the out-of-pocket and productivity costs. The general public paid 48%. People involved in crashes and their familty paid the remainder and suffered the pain. The comprehensive costs presented here are appropriate for use in benefit-cost analysis. The costs/police-reported crash are $2,732,000/k-fatal, $229,000/a-incapacitating injury, $48,000/b-nonincapacitating injury, $25,000/c-possible injury, $54,000/o-property damage only (these crashes include injuries by the police), and $4,300/unreported crash. The most costly kinds of crashes include motorcycle, pedestrian, pedalcycle, alcohol-involved, and heavy truck. Minor rural collectors, local rural streets, and urban arterials are the most dangerous/vehicle-mile of travel (VMT). Motorcycles have safety costs of $2.14/VMT, buses $.24/VMT, heavy trucks $.19/VMT, light trucks $.16/VMT, and cars $.12/VMT. In nonfatal collisions involving only occupants, the most harmful events with the highest cost/injury involve, in order: trees, overturns, other fixed objects, and utility poles.
Abstract