Public health crisis and risky road behaviors
Journal
Health Economics (United Kingdom)
Journal Volume
32
Journal Issue
6
Pages
1205
Date Issued
2023-06-01
Author(s)
Abstract
This study investigates how exposure to riskier environments influences risky road behaviors, using the COVID-19 pandemic as a natural experiment. Utilizing administrative individual traffic violation records from Taipei, where neither mandatory lockdown nor mobility restrictions were imposed, we find that pandemic-induced risk decreased speeding violations and that the effect was transitory. However, no significant changes were observed concerning violations with a minimal risk of casualties, such as illegal parking. These findings suggest that experiencing a higher level of life-threatening risk discourages risky behaviors concerning human life but has little spillover effect on those concerning only financial costs.
Subjects
COVID-19; risk-taking behaviors; road safety; time-varying risk aversion; traffic violations
Publisher
WILEY
Type
journal article