Twenty-five percent were publicly insured and had an average length of stay of 6.4 days. This longer length of stay is due to the older Medicare population who tend to have more co-morbid conditions. Economic Costs Motor vehicle crashes result in substantial economic costs. Economic human capital costs encompass direct and indirect costs to individuals and to society as a whole. The high cost of property damage is a function of the high incidence of minor crashes in which injury is either insignificant or nonexistent.
Alcohol use is one of the major causes of motor vehicle crashes.
The latter are higher because a higher proportion of alcohol-related cases involve more severe and expensive injuries, and productivity losses are greater. Another determining factor of motor vehicle crash outcomes is speed. Excess speed contributes to both the frequency and severity of motor vehicle crashes. Undoubtedly there is considerable overlap between alcohol involvement and speed. The pain and anguish suffered by an injured person as well as the burden placed on families caring for a disabled member go beyond any economic recompense.