Prevention effectiveness of rollover protective structures--Part III: Economic analysis

Abstract

The purpose of this part of the study is to assess the costs and benefits of either installing rollover protective structures (ROPS) on tractors lacking ROPS and for which ROPS are available or replacing the tractors with newer ROPS-equipped ones, relative to doing nothing. The methods used are cost-effectiveness and cost-benefit analyses. The cost-effectiveness analysis shows that compared to the "do nothing" strategy, the "install ROPS" strategy would cost $489,373 per injury averted and the "replace tractor" strategy would cost $14.3 million per injury averted over a 23-year period. The cost-benefit analysis shows that compared to the "do nothing" strategy, the "install ROPS" strategy would save society $1.5 billion while the "replace tractor" strategy would cost society $18.7 billion. While both the "install ROPS" and the "replace tractor" strategies are effective at saving lives and preventing injuries, this study has concluded that the preferred strategy in terms of cost-effectiveness is to "install ROPS" on tractors lacking them and for which ROPS are available.