Citation

Yarygina A, Albalate D. Int. J. Transp. Econ. 2017; 44(2): 172.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2017, Istituti Editoriali e Poligrafici Internazionali)

DOI

10.19272/201706702008

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Road safety is a global health problem and its severity in developing countries highlights the need for research to address its causes. We explore the effect of institutional variables on road safety, redressing the literature's failure to consider political institutions as road safety determinants. Specifically, we analyze the effect on traffic accidents and fatalities of different political regimes, electoral rules and forms of government. By drawing on an international sample of countries taken over a long time-span, we implement panel data methods to empirically estimate the role of institutions on road safety determinants. We find that democratic institutions are associated with better road safety outcomes. The beneficial effects of democratization become apparent after about four years in countries undergoing a regime transition and are also discernible in established democracies that are consolidating their political institutions. Finally, our results suggest that road safety can be characterized as a local public good and that its provision is greater in parliamentary systems. This paper is the first empirical paper shedding light on the role of institutions to road safety outcomes. Our results provide evidence of how the democratization of countries involve positive externalities to road safety outcomes.

Keywords: Public goods, Road safety, Institutions, Public health, Democratization.

Language: en