The American Automobile Association (AAA) just published a remarkable study quantifying the economic impacts of both congestion and car crashes (PDF Link). Perhaps the most surprising element of this report on two of the car-system’s biggest drawbacks is its source: AAA is an über-powerful pro-auto and highway lobbying group that well deserves its reputation for “paving the way to hell.” Oh yeah, and they offer roadside assistance too.

The study looks at 85 metropolitan areas of various sizes across the U.S. Crash costs across the board dwarfed costs associated with congestion. The larger cities lost less to crashes, more to congestion – a ratio of 1.85 to 1 with the average person losing $962 to crashes and $523 to congestion annually. At the other extreme, residents of the smallest metro areas encountered a ratio 7 to 1, with $1,359 lost to crashes and $189 to congestion annually (graph below).

These figures only include accidents involving a death or injury. Property Damage Only crashes (PDOs) don’t even figure into the equation, and would spike the price of car crashes even higher.

Complaints about traffic have been around almost as long as the automobile itself, and it remains a hot political topic. As the AAA report, and other similar studies, note, the carnage that goes with car travel is often treated as a necessary evil for its “convenience.”

From a previous report by the American Association of State Highway & Transportation Officials (AASHTO), based on 2001 data:

An astronomical 3.5 billion hours of people’s time and 5.7 billion gallons of fuel were wasted in 2001 because of congestion. The cost of these squandered resources is a staggering $69.5 billion.

But as bad as this is, there’s an immeasurably more costly and tragic measure of the system’s performance: the human toll. Every year, more than 43,000 people are killed and nearly 3 million are injured in crashes on our nation’s roads and highways. The economic cost of vehicle crashes annually is over $230 billion dollars.

Before those of you who live outside of cities think these numbers don’t apply, think again. According to the Federal Highway Administration, congestion is no longer limited to urban areas. Thanks to sprawl, as we pave over the countryside and build more box stores and McMansions, it’s spreading everywhere. More rural areas with less congestion also permit higher speeds – the per person crash costs in these communities could be even higher than in the small cities.

The total combined costs of crashes and congestion per vehicle mile traveled had an inverse relationship with the size of the city. The biggest cities averaged about $.25 per mile while the smallest were about $.41.

MetoRiderLA has taken AAA’s figures and compared the costs in Los Angeles and Orange County to the mass transit subsidies there. Residents there lose $1,561 annually per person to congestion and crashes, pay the highest gas taxes in the nation (63.9 cents per gallon), and pay additional taxes towards highway and road building and maintenance, environmental damage, health care costs due to pollution, etc. Add up all of those figures, challenges MetroRiderLA, and then claim that the nation’s woefully underfunded mass transit systems receive unfair subsidies.

Photos via flickr by size8jeans & by rahook2000

Comments (5)

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ChipSeal said:

I would suggest that driving a car today is not taken seriously enough. People are cavalier about their responsibility of operating a car because driving is such a common and ordinary daily activity.

March 17, 2008

Nick said:

Chip, I agree. Cars separate people from our human connections with others and our attitude becomes one of 'Get out of my way!' when driving. In some parts of Europe, the behavior when driving cars is much different - people are much more careful and other drivers (as well as pedestrians and cyclists) are afforded much more respect.

March 17, 2008

RowdyKittens said:

Thank for posting this - my partner and I are thinking of selling our car. Right now we are making a pro and con list - this post will help us make an informed decision

March 17, 2008 | url

Craig Warne said:

I don't know about you, but when I am driving in my car I get thick mucous secretions forming in the back of my throat. With a little bit of pharangeal dexterity it is possible to get the goobers onto the tip of the tongue. Then it is just a matter of winding the window down,a rapid expulsion of air and a tongue flick to send the missile into the pedestrian traffic.

March 23, 2008

alena baskera said:

hey of the confidence of the repellent desival the car vent would deffenetly suceed in its case the car has been damage but would save lots of corbits of an ideal score of 3.25*25.2seveal ti'll u bring the damagfe cost to a percent of=6325.23458%but go on with the appruval of concuest!

April 29, 2008 | url

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