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The Accident Externality from Driving

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Author Info

  • Aaron S. Edlin

    (University of California, Berkeley & National Bureau of Economic Research)

  • Pinar Karaca-Mandic

    (University of California, Berkeley)

Abstract

We estimate auto accident externalities (more specifically insurance externalities) using panel data on state-average insurance premiums and loss costs. Externalities appear to be substantial in traffic dense states: in California, for example, we find that a typical additional driver increases the total of other people's insurance costs by $2231 per year. In such states, an increase in traffic density dramatically increases aggregate insurance premiums and loss costs. In contrast, the accident externality per driver in low traffic states appears quite small. On balance, accident externalities are so large that a correcting Pigouvian tax could raise $45 billion annually in California alone, and over $140 billion nationally. The extent to which this externality results from increases in accident rates, accident severity or both remains unclear. It is also not clear whether the same externality pertains to underinsured accident costs like fatality risk.

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File URL: http://128.118.178.162/eps/pe/papers/0401/0401003.pdf
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Bibliographic Info

Paper provided by EconWPA in its series Public Economics with number 0401003.

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Length: 29 pages
Date of creation: 09 Jan 2004
Date of revision:
Handle: RePEc:wpa:wuwppe:0401003

Note: 29 pages, Acrobat .pdf
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Web page: http://128.118.178.162

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Cited by:
  1. Francesca Barigozzi & Bertrand Villeneuve, 2006. "The Signaling Effect of Tax Policy," Journal of Public Economic Theory, Association for Public Economic Theory, vol. 8(4), pages 611-630, October.
  2. Alma Cohen & Rajeev Dehejia, 2003. "The Effect of Automobile Insurance and Accident Liability Laws in Traffic Fatalities," NBER Working Papers 9602, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
  3. Lin, C.-Y. Cynthia & Prince, Lea, 2010. "The Optimal Gas Tax for California," Institute of Transportation Studies, Working Paper Series qt43k7p395, Institute of Transportation Studies, UC Davis.
  4. Thomas Leonard, 2008. "Robert H. Frank, Falling behind: how rising inequality harms the middle class," Constitutional Political Economy, Springer, vol. 19(2), pages 158-164, June.
  5. Parry, Ian, 2005. "Is Pay-As-You-Drive Insurance a Better Way to Reduce Gasoline than Gasoline Taxes?," Discussion Papers dp-05-15, Resources For the Future.
  6. Schrage, Andrea, 2006. "Traffic Congestion and Accidents," University of Regensburg Working Papers in Business, Economics and Management Information Systems 419, University of Regensburg, Department of Economics.
  7. Maria Dementyeva & Paul R. Koster & Erik T. Verhoef, 2013. "Regulation of Road Accident Externalities when Insurance Companies have Market Power," Tinbergen Institute Discussion Papers 13-019/VIII, Tinbergen Institute.
  8. Steimetz, Seiji S.C., 2008. "Defensive driving and the external costs of accidents and travel delays," Transportation Research Part B: Methodological, Elsevier, vol. 42(9), pages 703-724, November.
  9. Comerford, David A., 2011. "Attenuating focalism in affective forecasts of the commuting experience: Implications for economic decisions and policy making," Journal of Economic Psychology, Elsevier, vol. 32(5), pages 691-699.

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