You can’t have your cake and eat it too: the paradox of the American public supporting road safety but reluctant to pay the price – evidence from a discrete choice experiment

Abstract

Background: An estimated 44,680 people died in motor-vehicle crashes in the United States in 2024. A disproportionate share of these deaths involved young people. In 2023 alone, these crashes cost the U.S. $48 billion and $457 billion among adolescents aged 13-19 and in the entire population, respectively. The Safe System approach aims to improve roadway safety through safer drivers, roads, vehicles, speeds, and optimal post-crash care. Despite its effectiveness and federal investments, U.S. adoption lags other countries. Understanding public attitudes could enhance uptake. Objectives: To identify factors influencing the American public’s commitment to road safety and quantify preferences for speed reductions—a key element of the Safe System approach—using a discrete choice experiment (DCE). Methods: A DCE survey was administered to 2,274 participants (≥18 years) from the National Opinion Research Center’s (NORC) AmeriSpeak panel, to assess preferences for speed limit changes (10-mph reduction, no change, 10-mph increase), public spending on road safety versus healthier water, and resulting annual traffic deaths (25 more, no change, 25 fewer). Multinomial and random parameter logit models estimated preference weights. Results: Data from 2,060 participants (mean age 47.1 years) were analyzed. Most were non-Hispanic White (62.4%), had a bachelor’s degree (46.1 %), and were employed (61.8%). There was significant support for policy change (odds ratio 0.18; 95% confidence interval 0.14–0.23). Respondents favored reducing fatalities but opposed lowering speed limits. They would accept a 10-mph speed reduction for six fewer fatal crashes. Public spending on road safety versus healthier water was a key trade-off. Conclusions: Our findings highlight public support for speed limit reductions when they effectively reduce fatalities but reveal reluctance toward increased spending. Policymakers should emphasize safety benefits to ensure public acceptance.