Road conditions contribute to $217.5 billion in crash costs annually.
The cost of crashes related to road conditions in the U.S. was estimated to be $217.5 billion in 2006, which accounted for 43.6% of the total comprehensive crash cost. By analyzing crash data, researchers found that road conditions significantly contribute to crash occurrence and severity. Crashes involving large trees, non-breakaway poles, or collisions with bridges were more likely to be related to road conditions. This highlights the importance of road maintenance and upgrades in preventing crashes and reducing injury severity.