Anyone who has ever sat in a traffic jam caused by a crash knows that traffic safety affects us all. In addition to lost time and aggravation, motor vehicle crashes inflict real dollar costs on Americans.
Last year the economic cost of motor vehicle crashes in Cuyahoga County was an estimated $540 million. These costs reflect medical costs, police and fire costs, and lost productivity. Society bears 85% of these costs, which are paid through taxes and insurance rates. Of course the greatest cost associated with traffic crashes is the deaths and life-altering injuries caused by crashes, and the subsequent pain family and friends must endure.