ECONOMIC COST OF TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS IN RELATION TO THE VEHICLE

THIS PAPER DISCUSSES ACCIDENTS IN MASSACHUSETTS IN WHICH MASSACHUSETTS REGISTERED VEHICLES WERE INVOLVED AND THE RESULTING ECONOMIC COSTS. THE DATA WERE DEVELOPED BY THE MASSACHUSETTS DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS AND THE REGISTRY OF MOTOR VEHICLES IN COOPERATION WITH THE U.S. BUREAU OF PUBLIC ROADS. IT COVERS THE INVOLVEMENTS OF PASSENGER CARS IN TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS DURING 1953 AND THE INVOLVEMENTS OF TRUCKS IN TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS DURING 1955. THE PURPOSE IS TO PRESENT THE COST OF ACCIDENTS IN RELATION TO THE VEHICLE IN A WAY THAT WILL BE HELPFUL BOTH TO THOSE INTERESTED IN PINPOINTING WHERE PREVENTION EFFORTS SHOULD BE CENTERED AND TO THOSE ENGAGED IN THE ECONOMIC ANALYSIS OF HIGHWAY IMPROVEMENTS. IT IS NOT THE PURPOSE TO FIX THE RESPONSIBILITY FOR ACCIDENTS BY TYPE OF VEHICLE BUT RATHER TO SHOW WHAT KINDS OF VEHICLES WERE INVOLVED AND THE EXTENT OF THE INVOLVEMENT IN TERMS OF COST. INVOLVEMENT AND COST DATA ARE ANALYZED SEPARATELY FOR PASSENGER CARS AND TRUCKS BY AGE OF VEHICLE AND SEVERITY OF ACCIDENT. FURTHER ANALYSES ARE MADE OF TRUCKS INVOLVED IN ACCIDENTS AND THEIR DIRECT COSTS IN RELATION TO THE REGISTERED GROSS WEIGHT AND TYPE OF TRUCK. COMPARISONS ARE MADE THROUGHOUT THE REPORT ON THE BASIS OF THE INVOLVEMENTS PER 100 MILLION VEHICLE-MILES AND THE ACCIDENT COST PER VEHICLE-MILE. AN INVOLVEMENT IS ONE VEHICLE IN ONE ACCIDENT. FOR EXAMPLE, IN THE PASSENGER CAR STUDY IF A PASSENGER CAR HIT A PEDESTRIAN THERE WAS 1 INVOLVEMENT IN 1 ACCIDENT. IF 2 PASSENGER CARS COLLIDED WITH OTHER THERE WERE 2 INVOLVEMENTS IN 1 ACCIDENT. ALSO, IN THE PASSENGER CAR STUDY IF A PASSENGER CAR COLLIDED WITH A TRUCK THIS WAS 1 PASSENGER CAR INVOLVEMENT IN 1 ACCIDENT. THE TRUCK INVOLVEMENT WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE PASSENGER CAR STUDY. /AUTHOR/