Economic Impact of Vehicle Crashes Reaches $230.6 Billion

May 24, 2002
In the year 2000, 41,821 persons were killed; 5.3 million were injured, and 27.6 million vehicles were damaged.

In the year 2000, 41,821 persons were killed; 5.3 million were injured, and 27.6 million vehicles were damaged. The economic impact of motor vehicle crashes on America''s roadways, based on that year 2000 data, has reached $230.6 billion a year, an average of $820 for every person living in the United States.

A comprehensive new research study released by the U.S. Department of Transportation''s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) calculates the U.S. economic costs of an average roadway fatality at $977,000 and estimates the economic costs associated with a critically injured crash survivor at $1.1 million.

"This new report offers further proof of the enormous toll America faces each year due to death and injury on our roadways. It underscores the compelling need for all of us - individuals as well as government - to strengthen our commitment to highway safety," said Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta.

The NHTSA study highlights the vital importance of seat belt use. In one year, the use of seat belts prevents an estimated 11,900 fatalities and 325,000 serious injuries, saving $50 billion in medical care, lost productivity and other injury related costs. Conversely, the failure of crash victims to wear seat belts leads to an estimated 9,200 unnecessary fatalities and 143,000 needless injuries, costing society $26 billion.

"The evidence is overwhelming that seat belts save lives and reduce the severity of injuries. This report makes it obvious why we must buckle up and why we must dedicate ourselves to a higher seat belt use rate," said NHTSA Administrator Jeffrey Runge, M.D.

The report underscores the huge economic costs associated with alcohol-involved crashes, which resulted in an estimated 16,792 fatalities in 2000, as well as 513,000 nonfatal injuries and $50.9 billion in economic costs. Such crashes account for 22 percent of all crash costs.

Costs for crashes involving a driver or non-occupant with a blood alcohol content of .10 percent or greater accounted for 75 percent of the total of all alcohol-involved crash costs. The impact of alcohol involvement increases with injury severity. Crashes linked to alcohol accounted for 46 percent of fatal injury crash costs; 21 percent of nonfatal crash costs; and 10 percent of the costs in crashes involving property damage only.

The study determined that excessive driving speed is associated annually with 12,350 fatalities and 690,000 non-fatal injuries. This represents 30 percent of all fatalities and 13 percent of all nonfatal injuries. Crashes in which at least one driver was exceeding the legal speed limit or driving too fast for conditions cost $40.4 billion in 2000, or $144 for every person living in the U.S.

NHTSA''s new study, titled "The Economic Impact of Motor Vehicle Crashes 2000," estimates the yearly economic cost of roadway crashes includes:

  • $61 billion in lost workplace productivity
  • $20.2 billion in lost household productivity
  • $59 billion in property damage
  • $32.6 billion in medical costs
  • $25.6 billion in travel delay costs.

About 9 percent of costs from motor vehicle crashes are paid from public revenues. Federal revenues account for 6 percent, while states and localities pay about 3 percent. Private insurers pay about 50 percent. Individual crash victims pay about 26 percent. Third parties, such as charities, health care providers and uninvolved motorists delayed in traffic, pay about 14 percent.

Overall, nearly 75 percent of the costs of roadway crashes are paid by those not directly involved - primarily through insurance premiums, taxes and travel delay. In 2000, the costs paid by society rather than individual crash victims totaled $170 billion.

All told, the cost of motor vehicle crashes in the U.S. has reached 2.3 percent of the U.S. Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

The new study is available on NHTSA''s Web site at: www.nhtsa.dot.gov.

by Sandy Smith ([email protected])

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