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Automobile Seatbelt Usage and the Value of Statistical Life

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Author Info
Jahn K. Hakes () (Department of Economics & Management, Albion College)
W. Kip Viscusi () (Vanderbilt Law School)
Abstract

This article uses several within-sample tests to assess whether current seatbelt usage decisions are consistent with the stated preferences of survey respondents. The expressed survey values of statistical life are positively associated with the probability of seatbelt usage and are not statistically different from the values of statistical life implied by seatbelt usage decisions, which are in the $1.9 million to $8.4 million range. Seatbelt usage also varies in the expected manner with individual measures of heterogeneous attitudes toward risk, such as smoking status and education. Our evidence on seatbelt usage supports the view that consumers consistently balance expected safety benefits against the time and discomfort costs of seatbelt use.

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Publisher Info
Article provided by Southern Economic Association in its journal Southern Economic Journal.

Volume (Year): 73 (2007)
Issue (Month): 3 (January)
Pages: 659–676
Download reference. The following formats are available: HTML, plain text, BibTeX, RIS (EndNote), ReDIF
Handle: RePEc:sej:ancoec:v:73:3:y:2007:p:659-676

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Web page: http://www.southerneconomic.org/
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Related research
Keywords:

Find related papers by JEL classification:
K13 - Law and Economics - - Basic Areas of Law - - - Tort Law and Product Liability
I1 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health
D80 - Microeconomics - - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty - - - General
L51 - Industrial Organization - - Regulation and Industrial Policy - - - Economics of Regulation

Cited by:
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  1. Lisa R. Anderson & Jennifer M. Mellor, 2007. "Predicting Health Behaviors with an Experimental Measure of Risk Preference," Working Papers 59, Department of Economics, College of William and Mary. [Downloadable!]
  2. Svensson, Mikael, 2007. "Precautionary Behavior and Willingness to Pay for a Mortality Risk Reduction:Searching for the Expected Relationship," Working Papers 2007:3, Örebro University, Swedish Business School, revised 18 Feb 2008.
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This page was last updated on 2008-10-2.


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