A Review of the Literature on the Social Cost of Motor Vehicle Use in the United States

Over the past five years, analysts and policymakers have become increasingly interested in the “full social cost” of motor vehicle use. Not surprisingly, there is little agreement about how to estimate the social cost or why, with the result that estimates and interpretations can diverge tremendously. In this situation, policymakers and others who wish to apply estimates of the social cost of motor vehicle use might find it useful to have most of the major estimates summarized and evaluated in one place. Toward this end, we review the purpose, scope, and conclusions of most of the recent major U.S. studies, and summarize the cost estimates by individual category. We also assess the level of detail of each major cost estimate in the studies.