Pedestrian Deaths and Large Vehicles

Justin Tyndall

No 2020-4R, Working Papers from University of Hawaii Economic Research Organization, University of Hawaii at Manoa

Abstract: Traffic fatalities in the US have been rising among pedestrians even as they fall among motorists. Contemporaneously, the US has undergone a significant shift in consumer preferences for motor vehicles, with larger Sport Utility Vehicles comprising an increased market share. Larger vehicles may pose a risk to pedestrians, increasing the severity of collisions. I use data covering all fatal vehicle collisions in the US and exploit heterogeneity in changing vehicle fleets across metros for identification. Between 2000 and 2018, I estimate that replacing the growth in Sport Utility Vehicles with cars would have averted 1,100 pedestrian deaths. I finnd no evidence that the shift towards larger vehicles improved aggregate motorist safety.

Keywords: Transportation; Safety; Health; Traffic Fatalities; Externalities (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I1 R41 R42 R48 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 41 pages
Date: 2021-09
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-tre and nep-ure
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (4)

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Related works:
Journal Article: Pedestrian deaths and large vehicles (2021)
Working Paper: Pedestrian Deaths and Large Vehicles (2020)
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:hae:wpaper:2020-4r

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