Midwest Transportation Center

About the research

Missouri, Iowa, and Illinois drivers often share each other’s roadways; therefore, it is important to examine similarities and differences in the causes of motor vehicle crashes among the three states. This is especially true in light of a recent National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) report stating that the monetary cost of highway crashes in the US is approximately $900 per person (NHTSA 2014). In order to lower this high cost, it is necessary to have an understanding of the factors that contribute to these crashes. Systematic differences between states’ crash causes can shed light on the effectiveness of these states’ various driver training programs and driver policies, which, in turn, has the potential to make the roadways safer and reduce crash-related expenses.

This study theorizes that Missouri, Iowa, and Illinois have similar crash factors and that crash contributing factors differ as a function of gender, despite the varying size of the states’ populations. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to examine circumstances contributing to crashes for each state by gender in order to uncover differences and similarities that may provide policy implications.

Funding Sources:
Midwest Transportation Center
University of Missouri – Saint Louis ($20,000.00)
USDOT/OST-R ($27,000.00)
Total: $47,000.00

Contract Number: DTRT13-G-UTC37