This paper examines a number of papers producted in Australia to ascertain the degree of knowledge of both benefit-cost procedures and the use of road accident costs. Benefit-cost analysis is a procedure that one would hope to see used more frequently to justify the expenditure of public monies in all transport projects. If benefit-cost analyses are to be carried out on projects that affect road safety the analyses must be sensitive to the variables that will significantly change the accident costs. The papers examined appear to show a lack of awareness by the writers of what is entailed. Authors seldom state all of the variables in their analysis (i.e. capital cost, annual costs, project life, discount rate and annual benefits). There were examples of inappropriate assumptions, procedures or tests that could materially affect the results of individual reports. Few of the papers used accident costs that were relevant to the particular analyses. The state-of-the-art displayed by the practitioners in Australia leads to the need for an improvement in the application of benefit-cost analysis and the use of accident costs. (A) For the covering record of the conference please refer to IRRD abstract number 849497.
Samenvatting