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The accident externality from trucking: Evidence from shale gas development

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  • Muehlenbachs, Lucija
  • Staubli, Stefan
  • Chu, Ziyan

Abstract

A heavy truck imposes an externality if its presence causes traffic accidents for which it is not held liable. We estimate the increase in accidents that occur when a truck is added to a road using quasi-experimental variation in truck routes of connecting shale gas wells in Pennsylvania. We find evidence that adding a truck to a road is relatively safe for the truck itself, but less so for other cars on the road: an additional truck leads to an increase in the number of car-only accidents. However, these additional accidents are not more severe. Finally, we find suggestive evidence that the accident externality of trucking reverberates to even more road users through higher car insurance premiums.

Suggested Citation

  • Muehlenbachs, Lucija & Staubli, Stefan & Chu, Ziyan, 2021. "The accident externality from trucking: Evidence from shale gas development," Regional Science and Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 88(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:regeco:v:88:y:2021:i:c:s016604622030315x
    DOI: 10.1016/j.regsciurbeco.2020.103630
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Externality; Trucking; Hydraulic fracturing; Insurance premiums;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • G22 - Financial Economics - - Financial Institutions and Services - - - Insurance; Insurance Companies; Actuarial Studies
    • H23 - Public Economics - - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue - - - Externalities; Redistributive Effects; Environmental Taxes and Subsidies
    • I18 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Government Policy; Regulation; Public Health
    • Q58 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - Environmental Economics: Government Policy
    • R41 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - Transportation Economics - - - Transportation: Demand, Supply, and Congestion; Travel Time; Safety and Accidents; Transportation Noise

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