Citation

De Brabander B, Vereeck L. Transp. Rev. 2007; 27(6): 715-732.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2007, Informa - Taylor and Francis Group)

DOI

10.1080/01441640701275362

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

In a recent international comparison of the social costs of road accidents, Trawen et al. (2003) noted that cost data are not available for Belgium and, by consequence, play no part in Belgian policy-making. The purpose of the present paper is, therefore, to value the costs per casualty type and per accident in Belgium. Empirical data are provided on human and economic production losses as well as on direct accident costs such as medical costs, hospital visiting costs, accelerated funeral costs, property damage, administrative costs of insurance companies, litigation costs, police and fire department costs, and congestion costs. In Belgium the marginal unit value of preventing a road casualty is estimated at Euro 2 004 799 per fatal casualty, Euro 725 512 per seriously injured and Euro 20 943 per slightly injured victim. The unit cost per accident amounts to Euro 2 355 763, Euro 850 033, Euro 34 944 and Euro 2571 for fatal, serious, slight injury and property damage only accidents, respectively. These results are consistent with valuations reported in other high-income countries. Finally, the total costs of road accidents in 2002 are valued at Euro 7.2 billion (2004 prices), or 2.6% of gross domestic product.

Language: en