Approximation Framework of Embodied Energy of Safety: Insights and Analysis

Transportation safety, as a critical component of an efficient and reliable transportation system, has been extensively studied with respect to societal economic impacts by transportation agencies and policy officials. However, the embodied energy impact of safety, other than induced congestion, is lacking in studies. This research proposes an energy equivalence of safety (EES) framework to provide a holistic view of the long-term energy and fuel consequences of motor vehicle crashes, incorporating both induced congestion and impacts from lost human productivity resulting from injury and fatal accidents and the energy content resulting from all consequences and activities from a crash. The method utilizes a ratio of gross domestic product (GDP) to national energy consumed in a framework that bridges the gap between safety and energy, leveraging extensive studies of the economic impact of motor vehicle crashes. The energy costs per fatal, injury, and property-damage-only (PDO) crashes in gasoline gallon equivalent (GGE) in 2017 were found to be 200,259, 4442, and 439, respectively, which are significantly greater than impacts from induced congestion alone. The results from the motor vehicle crash data show a decreasing trend of EES per crash type from 2010 and 2017, due primarily in part to a decreasing ratio of total energy consumed to GDP over those years. In addition to the temporal analysis, we conducted a spatial analysis addressing national-, state-, and local-level EES comparisons by using the proposed framework, illustrating its applicability.

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Role of Poverty in California Teenagers’ Fatal Traffic Crash Risk

Californian Journal of Health Promotion ◽

10.32398/cjhp.v7i1.1316 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 7 (1) ◽

pp. 1-13 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Mike Males

Keyword(s):

Traffic Safety ◽

Low Income ◽

Motor Vehicle ◽

Strong Association ◽

Motor Vehicle Crash ◽

Motor Vehicle Crashes ◽

Crash Risk ◽

Vehicle Crashes ◽

Fatal Crash ◽

Adolescent Risk

Teenagers’ high rates of motor vehicle crashes, accounting for 40% of external deaths among 16-19 yearolds, have been ascribed largely to inherent “adolescent risk-taking” and developmental hazards. However, the fact that compared to adults 25 and older, teenagers are twice as likely to live in poverty and low-income areas, risk factors for many types of violent death, has not been assessed. This paper uses Fatality Analysis Reporting System data on 65,173 fatal motor vehicle crashes by drivers in California’s 35 most populous counties for 1994-2007 to analyze fatal crash involvements per 100 million miles driven by driver age, county, poverty status, and 15 other traffic safety-related variables. Fatal crash rates were substantially higher for every driver age group in poorer counties than in richer ones. Multivariate regression found socioeconomic factors, led by the low levels of licensing and high unemployment rates prevalent in low-income areas, were associated with nearly 60% of the variance in motor vehicle crash risks, compared to 3% associated with driver age. The strong association between fatal crash risk and poverty, especially for young drivers who are concentrated in high-poverty brackets and low-income areas, suggests that factors related to poorer environments constitute a major traffic safety risk requiring serious attention.

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Applying Lean-Engineering Principles to Agency Business Processes to Improve Collections Associated with Infrastructure Damaged by Motor Vehicle Crashes

Transportation Research Record Journal of the Transportation Research Board ◽

10.3141/2670-06 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 2670 (1) ◽

pp. 42-49

Author(s):

Daniel L. Brassard ◽

Darcy M. Bullock ◽

Deborah Horton

Keyword(s):

Business Processes ◽

Motor Vehicle ◽

Evaluation Process ◽

Motor Vehicle Crashes ◽

Vehicle Crashes ◽

Process Implementation ◽

Time Period ◽

Implementation Effort ◽

State And Local ◽

Local Agencies

State and local agencies have an enormous investment in roadway infrastructure that is routinely damaged by motor vehicle crashes and must be repaired in a timely manner. Recovering the costs associated with repairing damage to state property (DSP) from responsible parties can be difficult if careful business processes are not followed by state and local agencies. In 2009, the Indiana Department of Transportation (DOT) initiated a review of its DSP business processes; a survey of peer state DSP business processes was also conducted. Subsequently, the Indiana DOT implemented a series of improvements that have increased the amount invoiced for repair of damaged roadway infrastructure from $1.4 million in FY 2010 to $8.3 million in FY 2016. During this same time period, the number of DSP invoices issued to responsible parties increased from 1,352 to 4,405. In 2008 and 2009, the overall collection rate was 51% of the invoiced amounts. Twenty-four months after implementation of new processes, the Indiana DOT improved the collection to 88% for claims under $50,000, which constitute the majority of claims filed. This paper provides a summary of the evaluation process, implementation effort, and outcome assessment metrics that can guide agencies looking for improvement opportunities in repair and invoicing activities related to damage from motor vehicle crashes.

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Attribution of injury to alcohol involvement in young adults seriously injured in alcohol-related motor vehicle crashes

American Journal of Critical Care ◽

10.4037/ajcc2000.9.1.28 ◽

2000 ◽

Vol 9 (1) ◽

pp. 28-35 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

MS Sommers ◽

JM Dyehouse ◽

SR Howe ◽

J Lemmink ◽

K Davis ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Motor Vehicle ◽

Rank Correlation ◽

Motor Vehicle Crash ◽

Motor Vehicle Crashes ◽

Blood Levels ◽

Vehicle Crashes ◽

Vehicle Crash ◽

Alcohol Involvement ◽

Serious Injury ◽

Alcohol Dependent

BACKGROUND: Approximately 40% of all traffic fatalities are associated with the use of alcohol. Hospitalization for serious injury after a motor vehicle crash related to use of alcohol may be an opportunity to change drinking behaviors in non-alcohol-dependent drinkers, thereby reducing the risk for future disability and death. OBJECTIVES: To determine the degree to which non-alcohol-dependent adults aged 18 to 45 years with alcohol-related vehicular trauma attributed their injury to use of alcohol. METHODS: During hospitalization, 132 subjects involved in alcohol-related motor vehicle crashes were interviewed. The interviews included the question, "To what extent do you believe your alcohol consumption was responsible for this injury?" Responses were measured on a 7-point scale ranging from 1 (not at all) to 7 (totally). RESULTS: In response to the question about attribution of injury to alcohol, 37.8% of subjects responded "not at all," 24.3 responded "somewhat," and 37.9% responded "mostly" or "totally." Spearman rank correlation between attribution of injury to alcohol involvement and blood alcohol content at admission was r = 0.440 (P < .001). CONCLUSIONS: More than 60% of patients injured in alcohol-related motor vehicle crashes attributed their injury partly or totally to use of alcohol. When alcohol-free, hospitalized patients with higher blood levels of alcohol on admission were more likely than those with lower levels to attribute their injury to alcohol. Hospitalization for a motor vehicle crash related to use of alcohol provides an opportunity for interventions to decrease drinking.

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