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Drink, death and driving: do BAC limit reductions improve road safety?

Author

Listed:
  • Benjamin Cooper

    (Department of Economics, University of Strathclyde)

  • Markus Gehrsitz

    (Department of Economics, University of Strathclyde)

  • Stuart McIntyre

    (Department of Economics, University of Strathclyde)

Abstract

This study exploits a natural experiment in Scotland where the legal blood alcohol content (BAC) limit was reduced from 0.8mg to 0.5mg per 100ml of blood while staying constant in all other parts of the UK. Using a difference{in{differences design, we find that this change in the BAC level had no impact on either traffic accident or fatality rates

Suggested Citation

  • Benjamin Cooper & Markus Gehrsitz & Stuart McIntyre, 2018. "Drink, death and driving: do BAC limit reductions improve road safety?," Working Papers 1812, University of Strathclyde Business School, Department of Economics.
    • Handle: RePEc:str:wpaper:1812
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    File URL: https://www.strath.ac.uk/media/1newwebsite/departmentsubject/economics/research/researchdiscussionpapers/18-12.pdf.pagespeed.ce.ncoQKYHzjw.pdf
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. A. Colin Cameron & Jonah B. Gelbach & Douglas L. Miller, 2008. "Bootstrap-Based Improvements for Inference with Clustered Errors," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 90(3), pages 414-427, August.
    2. Benjamin Hansen, 2015. "Punishment and Deterrence: Evidence from Drunk Driving," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 105(4), pages 1581-1617, April.
    3. Christopher Carpenter & Carlos Dobkin, 2009. "The Effect of Alcohol Consumption on Mortality: Regression Discontinuity Evidence from the Minimum Drinking Age," American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, American Economic Association, vol. 1(1), pages 164-182, January.
    4. Grabowski, David C. & Morrisey, Michael A., 2006. "Do higher gasoline taxes save lives?," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 90(1), pages 51-55, January.
    5. Douglas J. Young & Agnieszka Bielinska-Kwapisz, 2006. "Alcohol Prices, Consumption, and Traffic Fatalities," Southern Economic Journal, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 72(3), pages 690-703, January.
    6. Thomas S Dee, 2001. "Does setting limits save lives? The case of 0.08 BAC laws," Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 20(1), pages 111-128.
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    Cited by:

    1. Francesconi, Marco & James, Jonathan, 2021. "None for the Road? Stricter Drink Driving Laws and Road Accidents," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 79(C).

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Road traffic fatalities; traffic accidents; diference-in-differences; blood alcohol;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I12 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Health Behavior
    • I18 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Government Policy; Regulation; Public Health
    • K42 - Law and Economics - - Legal Procedure, the Legal System, and Illegal Behavior - - - Illegal Behavior and the Enforcement of Law

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