Keith Vodden Dr. Douglas Smith - Transports Canada

II
SOCIAL COST FINDINGS AND MODEL OVERVIEW
A. INTRODUCTION
This chapter presents key findings on the social costs of motor vehicle collisions
and an overview of the Social Cost Model that produced them. More detail on the
model’s component parts and social cost findings can be found in separate chapters
devoted to the models of the social costs of motor vehicle collisions for: Ontario; sub-sets
of collisions in Ontario; Canadian jurisdictions; and individuals covered by the WS&IB
as well as in Appendices.
For ease of presentation, this chapter provides social cost estimates for all models
based on the willingness to pay (WTP) approach and medium scenario for estimating the
value of human consequences of motor vehicle collisions. The willingness to pay
methodology applies a constant value to human consequences regardless of the gender,
age, employment status, or category (driver, passenger, or pedestrian) of individual. The
medium scenario calculates average values for human consequences based on previous
WTP estimates and on recent (higher) estimates that eliminate biases in the earlier values
based on WTP. Estimates based on other valuation methods and scenarios are presented
in later chapters and appendices.
B. SOCIAL COSTS OF MOTOR VEHICLE COLLISIONS
1. Ontario—all collisions
Motor vehicle collisions in Ontario in 2004 have a social cost of $17.9 billion.
Although fatal collisions accounted for less than 1% of the 231,548 Highway Traffic Act
(HTA) reportable collisions, they represented $11.5 billion or 64% of total social costs
estimated in 2004. Injury collisions make up 27% of all collisions and 27% or $5.0 billion
of all costs. Property Damage Only (PDO) collision—while the largest collision group at
73% resulted in $1.3 billion or 8% of social costs.
Among total social costs the most significant cost components were:
• Fatalities — $11.1 billion (62%).
• Injuries — $3.9 billion (22%).
• Property damage — $1.8 billion (10%).
• Traffic delays — $0.5 billion (3%).
• Out-of-pocket expenses — $0.2 billion (1%).
TNS Canadian Facts, Social and Policy Research 3