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Chapter 4: CHALLENGES FACING THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS <br />U.S. Cost by Crash Factor in Billions of <br />Dollars <br />per Year <br />Road Condition - Related <br />Alcohol - Related <br />Speed - Related <br />Not Using Seatbelt <br />0 50 100 150 200 250 <br />[Source: Dr. Ted R. Miller & Dr. Edward Zaloshnja, On a Crash Course: The <br />Dangers and Health Costs of Deficient Roadways, The Pacific Institute for <br />Research and Evaluation, 2009, p. 7.] <br />This study also showed that Hawai'i State had the highest road - <br />related crash costs per mile of road in the United States. <br />Specifically, the annual cost of road - related crashes in Hawai'i <br />State for 2006 was $338,310 per mile of road. <br />[Source: Dr. Ted R. Miller & Dr. Edward Zaloshnja, On a Crash Course: The <br />Dangers and Health Costs of Deficient Roadways, Pacific Institute for Research <br />and Evaluation, 2009, p. 8.] <br />The Road Information Program (TRIP), a national non - profit <br />transportation research group, estimated that motor vehicle <br />crashes in which roadway design was an important factor cost <br />Hawai'i State motorists approximately $218 million per year, or <br />$261 per motorist per year, in medical costs, lost economic and <br />household productivity, property damage, and travel delays. <br />[Source: Paying the Price for Inadequate Roads in Hawaii: The Cost to Motorists <br />in Reduced Safety, Lost Time and Increased Vehicle Wear, TRIP, Washington <br />D.C., 2005, p.17.] <br />With 122,087 licensed drivers in Hawai'i County reported in 2006 <br />by the Hawaii County Data Book and using TRIP's estimate of <br />$261 per motorist per year, the estimated cost to Hawai'i County <br />drivers for crashes on Hawai'i Island roads would be $31,864,707 <br />per year (122,087 motorists multiplied by $261 per motorist). <br />However, these are estimated costs only and actual costs may be <br />higher or lower for Hawai'i County. Traffic crashes also require <br />Police, Fire, DPW, and other agency resources. For example, the <br />Police Department responds to traffic crashes on average of 20 <br />times each day and the majority of Fire Department responses <br />involve traffic crashes. <br />13 <br />