This paper addresses the question:​ What are the economic and non-economic consequences associated with crashes at intersections in the United States? The paper estimates the magnitude of the safety problem that may be mitigated by reducing violations of traffic signals and stop signs using communication technologies to convey information between the infrastructure and vehicles. The work reported in this paper is part of the U.S. Department of Transportation’s (USDOT) Cooperative Intersection Collision Avoidance Systems (CICAS) program.

A methodology for estimating target populations associated with intersection-area crashes is presented and illustrated through its application to CICAS program areas. Using a combination of National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) crash databases, estimated counts were created and valued using established unit comprehensive cost values. The total annual comprehensive cost for police-reported crashes was estimated to be $300 Billion in year 2000 dollars, while comprehensive costs for the crashes in intersection areas was estimated to be $97 Billion annually. Comprehensive costs are broken down further to provide estimates for each of the CICAS programs. A full report containing additional details is forthcoming.