"Safer drivers and safer cars remain vitally important, but safer roadways are critical to saving lives, preventing injuries and reducing costs," said principal study author Dr. Ted Miller in a release.
According to this study, there are 5.3 million roadway-related crashes a year, which means ten every minute. These crashes also contributed to 38 percent of non-fatal injuries and cost the nation more than $217 billion a year. This would mean that a improving road safety conditions would save a significant number of lives and money every year.
The study, titled 'On a Crash Course: The Dangers and Health Costs of Deficient Roadways,' showed how much more expensive are the deficient road conditions safety factors, when compared to $130 billion for alcohol, $97 billion for speeding, or $60 billion for failing to wear a safety belt.
Considering that $59 billion is the entire amount of money invested each year by the U.S. Government, the $217 billion figure is somehow out of reach. The study, however, also identified several solutions in improving road conditions, such as 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.
"Although behavioral factors are involved in most crashes, avoiding those crashes through driver improvement requires reaching millions of individuals and getting them to sustain best safety practices," continued Miller. "It is far more practical to make the roadway environment more forgiving and protective."
Google News