Suchergebnisse

Applying econometric techniques to EU28 panel data and controlling for explanatory variables such as road types, we find that increased truck load capacity does not necessarily aggravate road traffic safety. Specifically, heavy trucks do not seem to be linked with greater numbers of traffic fatalities/accidents, medium trucks appear to be the worst performers in terms of fatalities, and light trucks seem to be the worst for accidents. In summary, our results clarify the complex relationship between truck load capacity and road safety, pointing to the existence of a negative correlation for accidents per capita and an inverse U-shaped curve for fatalities per capita.

The connection between road traffic safety and criminal behavior has recently become a topic of interest in the literature, although little emphasis placed on the relationship with road accidents. Evidence worldwide shows that people who commit other offences characteristic of antisocial attitudes, are more prone to suffer road traffic accidents and infringe traffic laws. Here we examine the records of the 28 current member states of the European Union over the period 1999 - 2010. Our aim is to test the hypothesis that crime rates (and specifically, motor vehicle-related crimes) may be considered as predictors of fatal road traffic accidents. If they may, this could justify, at least prima facie, the tendency in several countries to consider traffic offences as crimes in their penal codes and to toughen the punishment imposed on those who commit them. We also analyze the effect of the severity of the legal system applied to traffic offences. Our results reveal that road traffic fatality rates are higher in countries whose inhabitants have more aggressive behavior, while the rates are lower in countries with more severe penal systems.

Some similarities can be seen in the drink driving policies of European Union (EU) countries but there are also some major differences. Although all member States are aware of the need to address the problem, there are considerable differences in aspects such as blood alcohol limits, alcohol prices and the enforcement of alcohol control laws. Considering that these policies are in place in specific economic and cultural contexts, we evaluate the effectiveness of the set of control policies implemented in the EU in terms of traffic fatality rates following the recent enlargement process. For this, we use a panel during the period 1999-2012 controlling for several explanatory economic, demographic and geographical attributes. We find that policies that may be effective for reducing alcohol consumption among young drivers may lead to improvements in road safety. Our results also show that zero approach maximum alcohol concentration rates do not seem to be a panacea for this problem, since the countries with the strictest limits do not achieve better road safety outcomes. Finally, the influence of alcohol consumption on traffic fatalities seems to be particularly relevant for the male population.