Study reveals huge cost of accidents on EU roads

Date: 23/01/1997

By Michael Mann

NEW research suggests that the socio-economic costs of transport accidents in Europe amount to over 166 billion ecu every year almost twice the EU budget.

The new analysis, compiled by safety lobby the European Transport Safety Council (ETSC), will form the basis of an EU strategic road safety plan, currently being prepared by the group.

The data, which assesses the cost of accidents for every major type of transport right across the Union, suggests around 97&percent; of total costs (162 billion ecu) result from road accidents.

“It is clear that higher priority should be given to road safety in EU and members states' transport investments. The enormous socio-economic cost of road accidents and the largely avoidable premature loss of life need urgent attention at national and international level,” said ETSC executive director Jeanne Breen.

The ETSC stresses that accident costs are higher than losses resulting from congestion and also far exceed expenditure on cleaning up the environment, two areas already singled out for attention by Transport Commissioner Neil Kinnock.

The study breaks new ground in being the first attempt to put a price on accidents throughout the Union, based on more than just the lost productive capacity of accident victims.

Because people's lives have intrinsic value, “the value of safety, or of reductions in risk to life, should be taken to be the amount that people are willing to pay for it”. This 'willingness-to-pay' approach was that chosen by the European Commission in its recent Green Paper on efficient pricing of transport.

It has allowed the ETSC to work out exactly how much money could justifiably be invested in new safety measures to prevent every fatality on the EU's roads. In 1995, about 45,000 people died in road crashes alone.

Other means of transport represent just a fraction of the total, although almost 400 people are believed to have died in accidents in the air or on water. Rail crashes in the Union accounted for 1,300 more.

The ETSC believes that the initiative for change must come from the EU, not least through its research and development programme for transport. Meanwhile, efforts must be made to fill gaps in existing statistics, particularly for non-road transport. Breen is optimistic that the Dutch presidency will add impetus to its campaign, claiming the Netherlands has pledged to pursue an action programme for road safety.

Next month, the ETSC will launch its own programme, suggesting the most cost-effective ways of reducing road casualties.