The likely effects of motorway tolling on accident risk : phase 2. Prepared for the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions DETR, Tolled Roads and Crossing Division TRCD.

This report presents the main results of a study of the effects of motorway tolls on the number of accidents. The MCONTRM program was used to model the redistribution of traffic flow for two highway networks: the Kent corridor and around the Danish town of Aalborg. Accident costs were calculated using the cost models from the Department of Transport's (now the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions) COBA program. It is estimated that a 10 percent diversion of motorway traffic from the motorways in Kent would increase the number of accidents in the entire county by about 3 and a half percent. The estimated increase in accidents in the Aalborg area with this level of diversion is less, about one third of the figure found for Kent. The difference between the two areas is partly caused by the lower flows on the Aalborg motorway. (A) (This report is also included on the TRL CD-ROM entitled "Research on road user charging 1995-1998"). For the covering abstract see C 12559 CD-ROM.