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When left is ‘right’! The impact of driving-side practice on road fatalities in Africa

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  • Poddar, Prashant
  • Singh, Vijaya

Abstract

In this paper, we try to understand the impact of a traffic convention, rule of the road, on road fatality rate in Africa. Using the country level panel data on road fatality rates provided by World Health Organization, we try to find whether left side driving rule has any differential causal impact on road fatalities. To address issues related to endogeneity, we instrument ‘Left Side Driving Rule’ with the measure for ‘British Colonization’. Our estimates suggest that the left side driving rule results in lesser road fatalities when compared to the right side driving rule. The illegal usage of ‘Right Hand Drive’ vehicles in right side driving countries and functional superiority of left side driving rule are the potential channels causing this effect. With Africa bearing the highest ‘disease burden’ of traffic fatalities in the world, our research provides a preliminary empirical insight into the role that ‘rule of the road’ traffic convention can play in this regard.

Suggested Citation

  • Poddar, Prashant & Singh, Vijaya, 2021. "When left is ‘right’! The impact of driving-side practice on road fatalities in Africa," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 114(C), pages 225-232.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:trapol:v:114:y:2021:i:c:p:225-232
    DOI: 10.1016/j.tranpol.2021.10.004
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Driving side; Left hand traffic; Road fatalities; Rule of the road; Africa;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I18 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Government Policy; Regulation; Public Health
    • N77 - Economic History - - Economic History: Transport, International and Domestic Trade, Energy, and Other Services - - - Africa; Oceania
    • R41 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - Transportation Economics - - - Transportation: Demand, Supply, and Congestion; Travel Time; Safety and Accidents; Transportation Noise
    • R48 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - Transportation Economics - - - Government Pricing and Policy

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