Investment in Highway Infrastructure Improvements Could Save Lives & Money, Study Reports

Human error has always been the leading cause of motor vehicle accidents in the U.S. and around the world. Ultimately, it is up to us to decrease driver error and pay attention to the task of driving. However, a recent study from the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety proposes another possible solution: an investment in highway safety improvements.

The suggested improvements, which could save thousands of lives and billions of dollars in accident related costs, would be designed to warn distracted drivers and create room to maneuver around hazards or disabled vehicles.

Some of the improvements recommended in the safety proposals include:

• Converting key intersections into roundabouts
• Installing roadside barriers
• Clearing roadside objects
• Adding sidewalks and pedestrian crossings
• Installing barriers on divided highways
• Adding rumble strips
• Paving and widening shoulders.

According to the study, an investment of $146 billion in highway infrastructure improvement spending has the potential to do the following over a 20-year period:

• Save an estimated 63,700 lives
• Prevent 353,560 serious injuries
• Save about $348.4 billion in accident-related costs (like costs arising from lost production, medical expenses, increased insurance premiums and property damage).

Of course, the proposed $146 billion in infrastructure spending would have to come from somewhere. At a time when polarization in Washington is high and many state and local governments are cash-strapped, the likelihood of passing legislation to fund these improvements is uncertain.

In Denver, voters recently approved a $937 million bond package that includes $431 million for “transportation and mobility” spending, but not all of that will go to funding the types of highway improvements the study has recommended for enhancing roadway safety in rural and urban areas.

Regardless of whether or when highway infrastructure improvements are made, all drivers still have a duty to safely operate their vehicles and take precautions to avoid collisions.

If you have been injured by a careless, reckless or negligent driver, contact a Denver car accident attorney at Bell & Pollock, P.C. for help seeking the compensation you deserve.