$11 billion and counting ...
Q: How much do traffic accidents cost us? The Daily Breeze has the answer:
Traffic crashes in the Los Angeles/Orange County region cost nearly $11 billion annually — more than the price tag associated with traffic congestion, according to a study released Wednesday.
According to the study — conducted on behalf of the American Automobile Association by the transportation policy firm Cambridge Systematics — traffic congestion costs the Los Angeles/Orange county region $9.3 billion annually, while traffic crashes cost $10.85 billion.
The price tag of auto accidents includes police, medical and emergency services, property damage, lost productivity and general "reduced quality of life," according to AAA.
"The study clearly demonstrates that both traffic safety and traffic congestion are a tremendous challenge to Southern California in terms of out-of-pocket costs and reduced quality of life," said Alice Bisno, the Automobile Club of Southern California's vice president for public affairs.
