THE 'UNDERWRITER' COLUMNS ON HIGHWAY LOSS REDUCTION

THREE BASIC STRATEGIES SHAPE SUCCESSFUL PROGRAMS TO COUNTERACT THE HUMAN AND ECONOMIC LOSS THAT OCCURS WHEN PEOPLE AND THEIR PROPERTY COME INTO PHYSICAL CONFLICT WITH NATURAL OR MANMADE HAZARDS IN THE ENVIRONMENT. THE FIRST STRATEGY IS TO LOWER THE FREQUENCY WITH WHICH PEOPLE OR THEIR PROPERTY CONNECT WITH MANMADE HAZARDS. MANY TACTICS LONG IN USE ATTEMPT THIS. THE SECOND STRATEGY IS TO SOFTEN THE INTERACTION OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL HAZARD AND PEOPLE OR STRUCTURES ONCE THEY COME IN CONTACT, WHETHER OR NOT OF HUMAN ERROR. THE THIRD STRATEGY IS TO DETECT, SIGNAL, AND SALVAGE THREATENED PEOPLE AND PROPERTY IN THE FACE OF DAMAGE ALREADY DONE. A WAY OF LOOKING AT HIGHWAY CRASHES THAT DOES GENERATE THE RIGHT QUESTIONS IS TO DIVIDE THE SO- CALLED HIGHWAY ACCIDENT-ACTUALLY, A SERIES OF EVENTS IN WHICH A NUMBER OF FACTORS MAY OPERATE-INTO THE THREE PHASES EMPLOYED TO DEVELOP HIGHWAY LOSS COUNTERMEASURES: VEHICLE, HUMAN AND ENVIRONMENTAL (INCLUDING ROAD) FACTORS THAT CONTRIBUTE TO THE CRASH - THE PRECRASH PHASE; FACTORS THAT INCREASE THE LIKELIHOOD OF DEATH, SEVERE INJURY OR PROPERTY DAMAGE ONCE THE CRASH HAS STARTED TO OCCUR-THE CRASH PHASE; FACTORS THAT AGGRAVATE LOSSES FOLLOWING THE CRASH-THE SPEED REGULATORS, 'SUPERCARS' AND CRASH LOSSES; DETECTING DRUNKEN DRIVERS; YOUNG BUYERS; VIOLENCE; CAR THEFTS; AND ATTITUDES OF SMALL CHILDREN. /AUTHOR/