IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/trapol/v114y2021icp225-232.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

When left is ‘right’! The impact of driving-side practice on road fatalities in Africa

Author

Listed:
  • Poddar, Prashant
  • Singh, Vijaya

Abstract

In this paper, we try to understand the impact of a traffic convention, rule of the road, on road fatality rate in Africa. Using the country level panel data on road fatality rates provided by World Health Organization, we try to find whether left side driving rule has any differential causal impact on road fatalities. To address issues related to endogeneity, we instrument ‘Left Side Driving Rule’ with the measure for ‘British Colonization’. Our estimates suggest that the left side driving rule results in lesser road fatalities when compared to the right side driving rule. The illegal usage of ‘Right Hand Drive’ vehicles in right side driving countries and functional superiority of left side driving rule are the potential channels causing this effect. With Africa bearing the highest ‘disease burden’ of traffic fatalities in the world, our research provides a preliminary empirical insight into the role that ‘rule of the road’ traffic convention can play in this regard.

Suggested Citation

  • Poddar, Prashant & Singh, Vijaya, 2021. "When left is ‘right’! The impact of driving-side practice on road fatalities in Africa," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 114(C), pages 225-232.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:trapol:v:114:y:2021:i:c:p:225-232
    DOI: 10.1016/j.tranpol.2021.10.004
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0967070X21002869
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.tranpol.2021.10.004?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Michael Grimm & Carole Treibich, 2013. "Determinants Of Road Traffic Crash Fatalities Across Indian States," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 22(8), pages 915-930, August.
    2. Abay, Kibrom A. & Kahsay, Goytom Abraha, 2018. "Long-term effects of alternative deterrence policies: Panel data evidence from traffic punishments in Denmark," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 113(C), pages 1-19.
    3. Dee, Thomas S. & Grabowski, David C. & Morrisey, Michael A., 2005. "Graduated driver licensing and teen traffic fatalities," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 24(3), pages 571-589, May.
    4. Nikolaev, Alexander G. & Robbins, Matthew J. & Jacobson, Sheldon H., 2010. "Evaluating the impact of legislation prohibiting hand-held cell phone use while driving," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 44(3), pages 182-193, March.
    5. Karaca-Mandic, Pinar & Ridgeway, Greg, 2010. "Behavioral impact of graduated driver licensing on teenage driving risk and exposure," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 29(1), pages 48-61, January.
    6. H. Peyton Young, 1996. "The Economics of Convention," Journal of Economic Perspectives, American Economic Association, vol. 10(2), pages 105-122, Spring.
    7. Roesel, Felix, 2017. "The causal effect of wrong-hand drive vehicles on road safety," Economics of Transportation, Elsevier, vol. 11, pages 15-22.
    8. Carpenter, Christopher S. & Stehr, Mark, 2008. "The effects of mandatory seatbelt laws on seatbelt use, motor vehicle fatalities, and crash-related injuries among youths," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 27(3), pages 642-662, May.
    9. Daniel Sperber & Alan Shiell & Ken Fyie, 2010. "The cost‐effectiveness of a law banning the use of cellular phones by drivers," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 19(10), pages 1212-1225, October.
    10. McCarthy, Patrick S., 1993. "The effect of higher rural interstate speed limits in alcohol-related accidents," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 12(3), pages 281-299, October.
    11. David Bishai & Asma Quresh & Prashant James & Abdul Ghaffar, 2006. "National road casualties and economic development," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 15(1), pages 65-81, January.
    12. José Castillo-Manzano & Mercedes Castro-Nuño & Xavier Fageda, 2014. "Can health public expenditure reduce the tragic consequences of road traffic accidents? The EU-27 experience," The European Journal of Health Economics, Springer;Deutsche Gesellschaft für Gesundheitsökonomie (DGGÖ), vol. 15(6), pages 645-652, July.
    13. Ali, Qamar & Yaseen, Muhammad Rizwan & Khan, Muhammad Tariq Iqbal, 2019. "The causality of road traffic fatalities with its determinants in upper middle income countries: A continent-wide comparison," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 119(C), pages 301-312.
    14. Michael A. Morrisey & David C. Grabowski, 2005. "State motor vehicle laws and older drivers," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 14(4), pages 407-419, April.
    15. Jean Andrey & Brian Mills & Mike Leahy & Jeff Suggett, 2003. "Weather as a Chronic Hazard for Road Transportation in Canadian Cities," Natural Hazards: Journal of the International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, Springer;International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, vol. 28(2), pages 319-343, March.
    16. Gilpin, Gregory, 2019. "Teen driver licensure provisions, licensing, and vehicular fatalities," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 66(C), pages 54-70.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Rinaldo Brau & Marco Nieddu & S. Balia, 2021. "Depowering Risk: Vehicle Power Restriction and Teen Driver Accidents in Italy," Working Paper CRENoS 202101, Centre for North South Economic Research, University of Cagliari and Sassari, Sardinia.
    2. Gilpin, Gregory, 2019. "Teen driver licensure provisions, licensing, and vehicular fatalities," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 66(C), pages 54-70.
    3. Brandyn F. Churchill & Taylor Mackay & Bing Yang Tan, 2021. "Unauthorized Immigrants' Access To Driver'S Licenses And Auto Insurance Coverage," Contemporary Economic Policy, Western Economic Association International, vol. 39(1), pages 107-125, January.
    4. Anderson, D. Mark & Sandholt, Sina, 2016. "Booster Seats and Traffic Fatalities among Children," IZA Discussion Papers 10071, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    5. Kettlewell, Nathan & Siminski, Peter, 2020. "Optimal Model Selection in RDD and Related Settings Using Placebo Zones," IZA Discussion Papers 13639, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    6. D. Mark Anderson & Benjamin Hansen & Daniel I. Rees, 2013. "Medical Marijuana Laws, Traffic Fatalities, and Alcohol Consumption," Journal of Law and Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 56(2), pages 333-369.
    7. Daniel Albalate, 2013. "The Road against Fatalities: Infrastructure Spending vs. Regulation?," ERSA conference papers ersa13p221, European Regional Science Association.
    8. Castillo-Manzano, José I. & Castro-Nuño, Mercedes & Fageda, Xavier, 2016. "Exploring the relationship between truck load capacity and traffic accidents in the European Union," Transportation Research Part E: Logistics and Transportation Review, Elsevier, vol. 88(C), pages 94-109.
    9. Erik Nesson & Vinish Shrestha, 2021. "The effects of false identification laws on underage alcohol‐related traffic fatalities," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 30(9), pages 2264-2283, September.
    10. French, Michael T. & Gumus, Gulcin & Homer, Jenny F., 2009. "Public policies and motorcycle safety," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 28(4), pages 831-838, July.
    11. Tyndall, Justin, 2021. "Pedestrian deaths and large vehicles," Economics of Transportation, Elsevier, vol. 26.
    12. Dills, Angela K., 2010. "Social host liability for minors and underage drunk-driving accidents," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 29(2), pages 241-249, March.
    13. Andrey, Jean & Hambly, Derrick & Mills, Brian & Afrin, Sadia, 2013. "Insights into driver adaptation to inclement weather in Canada," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 28(C), pages 192-203.
    14. Yueh-Tzu Lu & Mototsugu Fukushige, 2017. "Smeed fs Law and the Role of Hospitals in Modeling Fatalities and Traffic Accidents," Discussion Papers in Economics and Business 17-22, Osaka University, Graduate School of Economics.
    15. Lauren E. Jones & Nicolas R. Ziebarth, 2017. "U.S. Child Safety Seat Laws: Are they Effective, and Who Complies?," Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 36(3), pages 584-607, June.
    16. Michael Morrisey & David Grabowski, 2011. "Gas prices, beer taxes and GDL programmes: effects on auto fatalities among young adults in the US," Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 43(25), pages 3645-3654.
    17. Deza, Monica, 2019. "Graduated driver licensing and teen fertility," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 35(C), pages 51-62.
    18. Anderson, D. Mark & Rees, Daniel I., 2015. "Per se drugged driving laws and traffic fatalities," International Review of Law and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 42(C), pages 122-134.
    19. Hélène Laurent & Marc Sangnier & Carole Treibich, 2021. "Traffic safety and norms of compliance with rules: An exploratory study," Economics Bulletin, AccessEcon, vol. 41(4), pages 2464-2483.
    20. Christopher S. Carpenter & Mark F. Stehr, 2010. "Intended and Unintended Effects of Youth Bicycle Helmet Laws," NBER Working Papers 15658, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Driving side; Left hand traffic; Road fatalities; Rule of the road; Africa;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I18 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Government Policy; Regulation; Public Health
    • N77 - Economic History - - Economic History: Transport, International and Domestic Trade, Energy, and Other Services - - - Africa; Oceania
    • R41 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - Transportation Economics - - - Transportation: Demand, Supply, and Congestion; Travel Time; Safety and Accidents; Transportation Noise
    • R48 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - Transportation Economics - - - Government Pricing and Policy

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:trapol:v:114:y:2021:i:c:p:225-232. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/wps/find/journaldescription.cws_home/30473/description#description .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.