Question

Medical expenses and productivity losses alone accounted for over $100 billion in costs, about half of which resulted from crashes that were fatal. What is the total cost of crashes that were fatal?

1) $50 billion
2) $25 billion
3) $75 billion
4) $100 billion

Answer 1

The total cost of crashes that were fatal is $50 billion, calculated by taking 50% of the total $100 billion cost of accidents as mentioned in the problem statement.

Step-by-step explanation:

The total cost of crashes that were fatal can be calculated from the information provided. The statement says that medical expenses and productivity losses alone accounted for over $100 billion in costs, with about half of these costs resulting from fatal crashes. To find the total cost of the fatal crashes, we simply need to calculate 50% of $100 billion.

Half of $100 billion is $50 billion. Therefore, the total cost of crashes that were fatal is $50 billion.

Step-by-Step Explanation

1. Start with the total cost of all accidents: $100 billion.
2. Understand that 'half of which' refers to 50% of that total.
3. Multiply $100 billion by 50% (or 0.5) to find the cost of fatal crashes.
4. The result is $50 billion, which is the cost attributed to crashes causing fatalities.