Transportation Safety in Virginia: Positive Changes And Future Prospects

Abstract

iv Chapter 1 – Introduction 1 Chapter 2 Literature Review 3 Chapter 3 – Methodology 14 Chapter 4 – Results and Discussion 28 Chapter 5 – Conclusions 42 References 46 iii List of Figures and Tables Figure3.1. Severe Injuries. 16 Figure 3.2. Traffic-related Deaths. 17 Figure 3.3. Fatalities Involving Drivers Under 20 17 Figure 3.4. Speeding-related Fatalities 18 Figure 3.5. Alcohol-Impaired Driving Fatalities 19 Figure3.6. Peak of Fatalities 19 Figure4.1. Excise Tax Policy Concept 33 Figure4.2. Excise Tax Erosion, 1968 – 2000 34 Figure4.3. Contributors to Research in Highway Safety 35 Figure4.4. Approved and Eliminated projects in Different Research Areas 37 Figure4.5. Allocation of Funding 38 TABLE2.2 – Road statistics on Montana versus US (2004 – 2005) 6 TABLE 2.3 – The essential elements of the most effective Strategic Plan 11 TABLE2.4 – Comparison of the Highway Safety Strategic Plans 12 TABLE 3.1 – Total number of crashes vs. population growth 21 TABLE 3.2 – Number of deaths vs. number of deaths crashes 22 TABLE 3.3 – Investments in highway maintenance vs. total number of crashes 23 TABLE 3.4 – Investments in highway maintenance vs. Virginia MVC cost 23 TABLE 3.5 – Investments in highway maintenance vs. fatalities among young drivers 23 TABLE 3.6 – Investments in planning and research vs. total number of crashes 23 TABLE 3.7 – Investments in planning and research vs. Virginia MVC cost 24 TABLE 3.8 – Investments in planning and research vs. fatalities among young drivers 24 TABLE 3.9 – Retail gas prices vs. number of registered vehicles 25 TABLE 4.1 – Alcohol Excise Tax Erosion 33