When good roads go bad

The Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation (PIRE) reports that “deficient roadway conditions” result in 22,000 fatalities and more than $217 billion annually. The figures prove that bad roads are “a substantially more lethal factor than drunk driving, speeding or non-use of safety belts,” according to PIRE.

“If we put as much focus on improving road safety conditions as we do in urging people not to drink and drive, we’d save thousands of lives and billions of dollars every year,” Dr. Ted Miller, principal study author, said in a statement. “Safer drivers and safer cars remain vitally important, but safer roadways are critical to saving lives, preventing injuries and reducing costs.”

The study was conducted on behalf of the Transportation Construction Coalition, a group of 28 national associations and labor unions — including the Associated General Contractors of America — that lobby each year for more federal spending on the nation’s transportation infrastructure.

Ten roadway-related crashes occur every minute (5.3 million a year) and also contribute to 38 percent of non-fatal injuries, the report found.

PIRE findings
• The $217 billion cost of deficient roadway conditions dwarfs the costs of other safety factors, including: $130 billion for alcohol, $97 billion for speeding, or $60 billion for failing to wear a safety belt.

• The report concluded that roadway related crashes impose $20 billion in medical costs; $46 billion in productivity costs; $52 billion in property damage and other resource costs; and $99 billion in quality of life costs which measure the value of pain, suffering, and loss of enjoyment of life by those injured or killed in crashes and their families.

• Immediate solutions for problem spots include: replacing non-forgiving poles with breakaway poles, using brighter and more durable pavement markings, adding rumble strips to shoulders, mounting more guardrails or safety barriers, and installing better signs with easier-to-read legends.

• The highest total cost from crashes involving deficient roads are (alphabetically): Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Tennessee and Texas.

• The highest road-related crash costs per million vehicle miles of travel are: Alabama, Arkansas, Hawaii, Idaho, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Tennessee and West Virginia.

• The highest road-related crash costs per mile of road are: California, Connecticut, District of Columbia, Florida, Hawaii, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York and South Carolina.