The economic impact of motor vehicle crashes on America’s roadways has reached $230.6 billion a year, or an average of $820 for every person living in the United States.

U.S. Transportation Secretary Norman Y. Mineta announced the figures based on a new research study released by the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
The new report, based on calendar year 2000 data, 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.
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 study also 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.
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 these costs, borne 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).
NHTSA’s new study, titled “The Economic Impact of Motor Vehicle Crashes 2000,” is available on NHTSA’s website at www.nhtsa.dot.gov.