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Safer Driving for a Price: Evidence on Behavior and Habits in Kenyan Minibuses

Author

Listed:
  • David Schönholzer
  • Gregory Lane
  • Erin M. Kelley

Abstract

Road traffic injuries are the leading cause of death among people aged 5–29. Where traffic laws are weakly enforced, it is unclear whether road safety interventions can change behavior. We run a randomized controlled trial among 203 Kenyan minibuses, testing whether an incentive scheme improves safety overall or merely shifts unsafe driving to unmonitored times. Drivers reduce speeding by 29 percent and harsh braking by 13 percent, improving a safety index by 0.096 standard deviations. Labor-supply and earnings effects are modest, with little displacement across times or places. Improvements fade quickly, suggesting lasting change requires sustained enforcement or stronger incentives.

Suggested Citation

  • David Schönholzer & Gregory Lane & Erin M. Kelley, 2026. "Safer Driving for a Price: Evidence on Behavior and Habits in Kenyan Minibuses," NBER Working Papers 35394, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    • Handle: RePEc:nbr:nberwo:35394
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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • K42 - Law and Economics - - Legal Procedure, the Legal System, and Illegal Behavior - - - Illegal Behavior and the Enforcement of Law
    • O12 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Microeconomic Analyses of Economic Development
    • O18 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Urban, Rural, Regional, and Transportation Analysis; Housing; Infrastructure

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