title: Dollars for lives: the effect of highway capital investments on traffic fatalities.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  This study examines the effect of highway capital investments on highway fatalities.
  
  
  METHODS
  We used state-level data from the 48 contiguous states in the United States from 1968 through 2010 to estimate the effects on highway fatalities of capital expenditures and highway capital stock. We estimated these effects by controlling for a set of control variables together with state and year dummy variables and state-specific linear time trends.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We found that capital expenditures and capital stock had significant and negative effects on highway fatalities.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  States faced with declines in gas tax revenues have already cut back drastically on spending on roads including on maintenance and capital outlay. If this trend continues, it may undermine traffic safety.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  While states and local governments are currently fiscally strained, it is important for them to continue investments in roadways to enhance traffic safety and, more significantly, to save lives.
authors.affiliation: School of Urban and Regional Planning and Public Policy Center, University of Iowa, 344 Jessup Hall, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA. Electronic address: phuong-nguyen@uiowa.edu.
authors.forename: Phuong
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Nguyen-Hoang
authors.affiliation: The State University of New York-College at Brockport, Department of Public Administration, College at Brockport MetroCenter, 55 St. Paul Street, Rochester, NY 14604, USA. Electronic address: ryeung@brockport.edu.
authors.forename: Ryan
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Yeung
mesh_terms: D000063:Accidents, Traffic / Q000401:mortality*; D002201:Capital Expenditures / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D033161:Government Regulation; D006801:Humans; D013219:State Government; D014481:United States
keywords: Capital expenditures; Capital stock; Highway expenditures; Traffic fatalities