Speed cameras in an urban setting: a cost–benefit analysis
- 1Agència de Salut Pública de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- 2CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Barcelona, Spain
- 3Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Research (IDAEA), Spanish Council for Scientific Research (CSIC), Barcelona, Spain
- Correspondence to Dr Anna García-Altés, Agència de Salut Pública de Barcelona, Plaça Lesseps 1, Barcelona 08023, Spain; annagarcia{at}post.harvard.edu
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Contributors All authors contributed to the design, analysis and writing of the paper.
- Accepted 6 June 2011
- Published Online First 27 July 2011
Abstract
Background To perform a cost–benefit analysis of the installation of speed cameras on the beltways of Barcelona.
Methods The analysis was performed from the society perspective over a 2-year period using a controlled before-and-after study design. The net benefit was calculated using, as benefits, the willingness to pay for the estimated number of people who avoided injury as a consequence of the intervention, subtracting costs and savings. Sensitivity analyses were performed using the maximum and minimum estimated number of people who avoided injury, assuming that there was a minimum of one death avoided, using the maximum value of a statistical life, assigning all implementation costs to the first year and assuming there was no time lost due to speed reduction.
Results Base case results showed a net benefit of €6.8 million. Sensitivity analyses suggested that net benefits could range from €5.6 to €23.1 million over 2 years.
Conclusions The use of speed cameras in urban areas has a favourable economic impact even when assessed using conservative assumptions.
Footnotes
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An earlier version of this paper was presented at the 69th Health Economics Study Group Meeting. The discussion from this meeting had a considerable impact on the final manuscript.
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Competing interests None.
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Provenance and peer review Not commissioned; externally peer reviewed.
