This paper estimates 1993 United States highway crash incidence and costs by driver age, alcohol use, victim age, occupant status, and restraint use. It appears that crash costs of novice drivers are high enough to yield preliminary benefit-cost ratios around 10 to 17 for a provisional licensing system that restricts driving after midnight, and 25 for zero alcohol tolerance for young drivers with violators receiving a 6-month suspension. The costs to people other than the intoxicated driver per mile driven at blood alcohol contents (BACs) of .08-.099% exceed the value of driver mobility. The safety costs of drunk driving appear to exceed 5.50 dollars per mile, compared with 2.40 dollars per mile driven at BACs mile driven at BACs of .08-.099%, and .11 dollar per mile driven sober. It also appears that highway crashes cause an estimated 3.4% of USA medical spending, including more than 12% of medical spending for ages 15-24. Ignoring crash-involved occupants whose restraint use is unknown, the 13% of occupants who police reported were travelling unrestrained accounted for an estimated 41% of the crash costs. If these unrestrained occupants buckled up, the medical costs of crashes would decline by an estimated 20% (almost 4 billion dollars annually) and the comprehensive costs by 27%. (A)
Abstract