Cumulative prevention benefits and costs saved by drinking driving policies: estimates for Ontario, 1970-2006

Progress in assessing the impact of specific policies on the drinking driving problem, and advances in valuing the avoidable costs that result from alcohol-related problems suggest that estimating the impact of policies can be determined with a precision that has not previously been possible. Using research-based estimates of the effects of drinking driving policies in Ontario and elsewhere, we estimate their impact in terms of deaths, injuries, and collisions prevented and costs saved. Estimating these benefits required three steps: 1) reviews of studies to estimate the impact of successful drinking driving policies in Ontario (legal limit (per se) law, raising drinking age from 18 to 19 years, remedial measures, RIDE spot-check program, graduated licensing, administrative licence suspensions, and maintaining the public monopoly on alcohol sales); 2) calculation of ‘prevention benefits’ to estimate the numbers of deaths, injuries, and collisions prevented; and 3) application of monetary values derived from two methods (human capital – discounted future earnings, willingness to pay) to estimate costs averted. We estimated the total deaths, injuries, and collisions prevented and costs averted for each policy from the year of its introduction to 2006. Between 1970 and 2006, drinking driving policies and programs prevented an estimated total of 4,887 deaths, 178,238 injuries and 132,182 property damage only collisions in Ontario, and total costs averted were estimated at CAN$8.5 Billion (human capital – discounted future earnings method) or CAN$78 Billion (willingness to pay method). These results suggest that drinking driving policies have been of substantial cumulative value to society in preventing deaths, injuries, collisions, and monetary costs.

• Record URL:
  • http://www.icadtsinternational.com/files/documents/2013_119.pdf
• 
• Authors:
  • Stoduto, G
  • Mann, R E
  • Rehm, J
  • Irving, H
  • Paglia-Boak, A
  • Ialomiteanu, A
  • Smart, R G
  • Popova, S
  • Wickens, C M
  • Thomas, R
• Conference:
  • International Conference on Alcohol, Drugs and Traffic Safety (T2013), 20th, 2013, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
• Publication Date: 2013-8

Language

• English

Media Info

• Pagination: 715-20
• Monograph Title: 20th International Conference on Alcohol, Drugs and Traffic Safety Conference Proceedings, 25-28 August 2013, Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre, Brisbane, Australia

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Benefit cost analysis; Crashes; Drivers; Drunk driving; Economic analysis; Economics; Injuries; Intoxication; Policy
• Uncontrolled Terms: Safe systems (road users); Willingness to pay
• Geographic Terms: Canada; Ontario, Canada
• ATRI Terms: Crash costs; Drink driving; Economic analysis; Injury prevention; Policy; Transport economics; Willingness to pay
• Subject Areas: Economics; Policy; Safety and Human Factors; I83: Accidents and the Human Factor;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01500804
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: ARRB
• Files: ITRD, ATRI
• Created Date: Dec 5 2013 8:49AM