Citation

Dunman R. Highw. Res. Board bull. 1960; 263: 40-49.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1960, National Research Council (U.S.A.), Highway Research Board)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Extensive use of traffic accident cost data developed by the Massachusetts department of public works and by the Massachusetts registry of motor vehicles in cooperation with the u.S. Bureau of public roads was made in the congressional report, the federal role in highway safety. (house document no. 93, 86th congress, 1st session, 1959.) these data have also been used as the basis of other reports relating economic costs to accident types, characteristics of the street and highway systems, and to the characteristics of motor vehicles. This article, using data from the same source, relates the economic cost of motor-vehicle traffic accidents to persons. Comparisons involving passenger cars of Massachusetts registry in 1953 are made of the accident experience of automobile drivers, passengers, pedestrians, and other persons involved in motor-vehicle traffic accidents. The number of accidents, the number of persons involved, the number of persons injured fatally, seriously, and superfically, the number hospitalized, and the number permanently and temporarily disabled are discussed. Equally important, the cost of accidents and injuries is revealed. Injury rates and injury cost rates, number of persons injured per 100,000 population and the per capita cost of their injuries show the relative economic inportance of the accidents and injuries experienced by each class of persons. The Massachusetts study of the economic cost of motor-vehicle accidents encompassed the total driving experience of all licensed operators of passenger cars and cargo-carrying vehicles of Massachusetts registry including those who experienced accidents and those who did not, in the operation of passenger cars during 1953, within or outside the state, and in the operation of cargo-carrying vehicles during 1955. However, the discussion in this paper is confined to the accident experience of Massachusetts licensed passenger-car operators and persons in motor-vehicle traffic accidents involving passenger cars on public streets and highways of the state. This paper excludes accident experience of truck operators, the number and cost of accidents occurring on private property, and the number and cost of mishaps involving acts of vandalism and acts of god.