Cost-Effectiveness of Traffic Safety Interventions in the United States

In order to demonstrate the results of all available studies on cost-effectiveness and traffic safety, and report them in a comparable format, we conducted a comprehensive review of the literature on the subject. Knowledge of cost-effective (CE) traffic safety programs that result in reduced motor vehicle crashes and fatalities is essential to city planners, managers, and police. METHOD: Using a systematic approach to literature review, the relevant literature has been identified through the use of electronic databases, hand searching of journals, scanning reference lists, and consultation with corresponding authors and experts. Target populations were drivers, passengers and pedestrians in urban and rural roads. Studies on passenger vehicles, busses, and light trucks are included in this review. Studies were included with outcome measure such as cost per year of life saved (LYS), and cost per quality-adjusted life-year saved (QALY), or enough data on cost and benefit to estimate these measures. We followed the recommendations of the Panel on Cost Effectiveness in Health and Medicine (PCEHM) in our recalculations. Interventions are categorized based on the Haddon matrix. RESULTS: We found that despite the specific framework recommended by the PCEHM, the methods used to derive CE measures vary considerably among studies.