A new highway demonstration program to improve signage, signals and road markings at intersections in Michigan reduced injuries by nearly half since 1997, AAA announced.

AAA Michigan's "Road Improvement Demonstration Program" has reduced injuries by 46% and crashes by 26% at high-risk urban intersections with traffic signals.
The results are from a public/private partnership on intersection safety spearheaded by AAA Michigan during the past five years in Detroit and Grand Rapids, Mich.
Citing dramatic results from the program, AAA will urge Congress to make intersection safety a priority in the upcoming reauthorization of the Transportation Equity Act.
"This program relies on a relatively small investment in low-cost traffic safety engineering enhancements, such as re-timed traffic signals, larger signal heads and dedicated left turn lanes," said Richard J. Miller, manager of Community Safety Services for AAA Michigan. "But this small investment has yielded big results. This program is especially effective in older urban areas already looking at infrastructure upgrades."
Since the launch of the demonstration program in 1997, AAA estimates a total savings for society of approximately $7.3 million in medical care, emergency services, property damage and productivity losses due to crashes.
AAA also projects that over the next 15 years there will be an additional $50 million in savings to society by reducing the number of crashes that occur at the 60 improved intersections. By the end of this demonstration program in 2004, there will be nearly 300 improved intersections. These results will be achieved with an initial investment of $2 million by AAA Michigan that leveraged nearly $25 million in federal, state, county and city economic development and safety funds.
AAA said driving near or within intersections is one of the most complex environments for drivers. In 2000, there were more than 2.8 million intersection-related crashes nationwide and about 8,500 deaths, according to the Federal Highway Administration. That represents 44% of all reported crashes. According to AAA, the cost to society for these intersection-related crashes is about $40 billion per year.