The University of Adelaide CENTRE FOR AUTOMOTIVE SAFETY RESEARCH

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TitleThe social and economic costs of road accidents
AuthorsSomerville CJ
Year1981
TypeConference Paper
AbstractThe social and economic implications of road accidents are assessed and fourteen cost parameters are identified and valued. These cost parameters include the losses in family and community contribution and pain and suffering which are usually regarded as intangible. Serious road accidents in South Australia during the 12 month period from March 1976 to March 1977 are estimated to cost the community $400 million ($ 1980 Aus.). This figure relates to 7985 casualty accidents. A road accident fata estimated to cost the community more than $300 ($ 1980 Aus.). The total cost amount is distributed by type of accident and also by the type of error (if any) committed by the active participants who are defined to include all drivers, riders and pedestrians. The procedure developed in this study could also be applied to many other classifications of the overall cost, such as the costs associated with road and traffic factors. Ultimately it should be possible to develop a cost ranking for all of the known road accident risk factors, allowing for differences in other characteristics of the accidents.
Conference Name25th Annual Conference of American Association for Automotive Medicine (AAAM)
Conference AbbreviationAAAM
Conference LocationSan Francisco, USA
Conference Date1-3 October 1981
Page Range461-472
Page Count12
Notesavailable from CSR library on request

Reference
Somerville CJ (1981). The social and economic costs of road accidents. 25th Annual Conference of American Association for Automotive Medicine (AAAM), (pp. 461-472).