A willingness to pay approach was adapted to cost injuries from road crashes using a European VOSL (Value of a Statistical Life) of €1.5 million. The analysis criteria were established to determine the following: • Percentage of injury costs and injuries for all crash types. • Percentage of injury costs and injuries for 'frontal' crashes. • Percentage of injury costs and injuries for 'side impact' crashes. • Percentage of injury costs and injuries for all crash types in 'new' cars (year of manufacture 1998 and beyond) • Percentage of injury costs and injuries for all crash types in 'old' cars (year of manufacture 1997 and previous). This analysis was repeated to examine the percentage of injury costs and injuries for all 'Serious' crashes, thus excluding 'slight' and 'fatal' crashes. The highest costs for 'all' crashes were attributed to the head (32%) but only 12% of all injuries. Lower extremity injuries predominated in all crashes with 20% of the injuries but only 13% of costs. The few spinal injuries noted (2%) incurred 14% of the costs. However, for 'serious' crashes the highest costs were attributed to the lower extremity (29%) as were the percentage of injuries (27.5). There was a consistent trend in the 'serious' crashes where lower extremities was the predominant body region injured for all frontal and side impacts as well as new and old cars. However the costs for the 'serious' crashes varied slightly as all but side impacts and 'new' cars attributed the majority of costs to the lower extremity. Head injury in side impacts and 'new' cars in 'serious' crashes incurred the highest costs. Predominantly, lower extremity injuries were the most common injury in the PENDANT crashes. Although the actual costs of such injuries are high it is apparent that head injuries incur the higher costs for fewer injuries. (Author/publisher)
Abstract