Seat belt use prevented 12,500 fatalities, 308,000 serious injuries, and $69 billion in injury related costs in 2010, but the failure of a substantial portion of the driving population to buckle up caused 3,350 unnecessary fatalities, 54,300 serious injuries, and cost society $14 billion in easily preventable injury related costs.

The Economic and Societal Impact of Motor Vehicle Crashes, 2010 (Revised) In 2010, there were 32,999 people killed, 3.9 million were injured, and 24 million vehicles were damaged in motor vehicle crashes in the United States. Crashes in which police indicate that at least one driver was exceeding the legal speed limit or driving too fast for conditions cost $59 billion in 2010.

When quality of life valuations are considered, the total value of societal harm from motor vehicle crashes in 2010 was $871 billion. Lost market and household productivity accounted for $93 billion of the total $277 billion economic costs, while property damage accounted for $76 billion. The United States Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (“NHTSA”) released a new study, “The Economic and Societal Impact of Motor Vehicle Crashes, 2010,” on May 28, 2014 that examines the financial impact car accidents have in America. 2010 2000 Fatalities 32,999 41,821 Nonfatal Injuries 3.9 million 5.3 million Damaged Vehicles 24 million 28 million Economic Cost $277 billion $231 billion Societal … The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has released a report that examines motor vehicle crashes in terms of impacts such as the value of lost quality of life from death and serious injury, and who pays for crashes. Alcohol involved crashes accounted for $59 billion or 21 percent of all economic costs, and 84 percent of these costs occurred in crashes where a driver or non-occupant had a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of .08 grams per deciliter or greater.

The report also includes data on the costs associated with motorcycle crashes, failure to wear motorcycle helmets, pedestrian crash, bicyclist crashes, and numerous different roadway designation crashes.The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and MedicineCopyright © 2020 National Academy of Sciences. Public revenues paid for roughly 9 percent of all motor vehicle crash costs, costing tax payers $24 billion in 2010, the equivalent of over $200 in added taxes for every household in the United States.

Alcohol was the cause of the crash in roughly 82 percent of these cases, causing $49 billion in costs. Congestion caused by crashes, including travel delay, excess fuel consumption, greenhouse gases and criteria pollutants accounted for $28 billion.
Crashes in which alcohol levels are BAC of .08 or higher are responsible for over 90 percent of the economic costs and societal harm that occurs in crashes attributable to alcohol use.

The lifetime economic cost to society … The Economic and Societal Impact of Motor Vehicle Crashes, 2010 (Revised) The economic costs of these crashes totaled $277 billion. In 2010, there were 32,999 people killed, 3.9 million were injured, and 24 million vehicles were damaged in motor vehicle crashes in the United States. Gross Domestic Product. NHTSA’s new study, ‘The Economic and Societal Impact of Motor Vehicle Crashes, 2010’ cites several behavioral factors as contributing to the huge price-tag of roadway crashes based on the 32,999 fatalities, 3.9 million non-fatal injuries, and 24 million damaged vehicles that took place in 2010. This is equivalent to approximately $897 for every person living in the United States and 1.9 percent of the U.S. Medical expenses totaled $35 billion. 1 National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, The Economic and Societal Impact Of Motor Vehicle Crashes, 2010 (Revised), DOT HS 812 013, May 2015 (Revised). The Economic and Societal Impact of Motor Vehicle Crashes, 2010 (Revised) The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has released a report that examines motor vehicle crashes in terms of impacts such as the value of lost quality of life from death and serious injury, and who pays for crashes. These figures include both police-reported and unreported crashes. These figures include both police-reported and unreported crashes. 2 NHTSA, Traffic Safety Facts Research Note: 2017 Fatal Motor Vehicle Crashes: Overview, DOT HS 812 603, October 2018. The economic costs of these crashes totaled $277 billion. This represents the present value of lifetime economic costs for 32,999 fatalities, 3.9 million non-fatal injuries, and 24 million damaged vehicles. Economic Impact of Crashes The economic cost of motor vehicle crashes that occurred in 2010 totaled $277.0 billion. Each fatality resulted in an average discounted lifetime cost of $1.4 million. The $277 billion cost of motor vehicle crashes represents the equivalent of nearly $897 for each of the 308.7 million people living in the United States, and 1.9 percent of the $14.96 trillion real U.S.
All Rights Reserved. In 2010 the total economic cost of motor vehicle crashes in the United States was $242 billion.

Gross Domestic Product for 2010. Included in these losses are lost productivity, medical costs, legal and court costs, emergency service costs (EMS), insurance administration costs, congestion costs, property damage, and workplace losses. The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and MedicineThe Economic and Societal Impact of Motor Vehicle Crashes, 2010 (Revised)The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine500 Fifth Street, NW | Washington, DC 20001 | T: 202.334.2000 Crashes in which at least one driver was identified as being distracted cost $46 billion in 2010.