The estimation of unit costs of road traffic accidents in South Africa

Type Report
Title The estimation of unit costs of road traffic accidents in South Africa
Author(s)
Publication (Day/Month/Year) 2004
Page numbers 0-0
URL http://www.arrivealive.co/document/FinalReportAccidentCosts2002.pdf
Abstract
In 2002, the National Department of Transport in South Africa identified the need to broaden the current methodology to include unit costs for accident victims according to age groups and severity of casualties, and unit costs for the number of vehicles involved according to vehicle type and type of accident, with a possible further breakdown in terms of urban and rural areas. The tender for the undertaking of a project on the cost of road traffic accidents was awarded to CSIR Transportek, which conducted the study during 2003. This document deals with the study undertaken to develop a new methodology that provides comprehensive accident unit cost figures. Chapter 1 gives a background to the study. Chapter 2 discusses the main issues pertaining to accident costing and gives an overview of the methodology used in the current study. Chapter 3 gives the unit cost tables to be used for the calculation of accident costs at a national or local level. Examples are given to assist with calculations. Chapter 4 gives recommendations, including a method for annual adjustment of the unit cost figures. Details of the study are contained in Annexures A to F. Annexure A gives an overview of international practices to calculate human casualty costs and a review of the previous methods used in South Africa is given in Annexure B. Annexure C gives details of the methodology followed during the current study. Annexures D and E describe the results of the current study that produced the human casualty unit cost and vehicle damage cost tables supplied in Chapter 3. Annexure F compares the human casualty unit cost discussed in Annexure D with similar costs obtained from the Road Accident Fund.

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