EuHEA Seminar - Silvia Balia (University of Cagliari)
Title: "Depowering Risk: Vehicle Power Restriction and Teen Driver Accidents in Italy"
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Date: 27 October 2021 from 14:30 to 15:30
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Event location: On-line (Zoom)
Abstract
This paper investigates the road safety impact of an Italian law that sets a limit on vehicle power for first-year licensees. We leverage the between-cohort differences in exposure to the reform to determine its effect on traffic accidents. We find that, when prevented from using high-powered cars, teen drivers are 13% less likely to cause an accident and 28% less likely to cause a fatal accident, mainly because of fewer speed violations. These effects persist even after the one-year restriction expires. Our findings highlight the effectiveness of policies that, instead of directly targeting risky behaviours, reduce exposure to high-risk settings.
Discussant: Thomas Siedler (University of Potsdam)
Chair: Matteo Lippi Bruni (University of Bologna)