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Do stricter penalties deter drinking and driving? An empirical investigation of Canadian impaired driving laws

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  • Anindya Sen

Abstract

In this paper I attempt to assess empirically the effects of Canadian impaired driving legislation enacted between 1976 to 1992. On average, penalties for impaired driving have limited impact on impaired driver fatalities. Instead, trends in impaired driver deaths are significantly correlated with the enactment of mandatory seatbelt legislation across provinces. Specifically, the implementation of mandatory seatbelt laws for drivers is significantly associated with a 27 per cent drop in impaired driver fatality rates. These findings suggest that more lives might be saved by focusing on initiatives aimed at enhancing vehicle safety. JEL Classification: H7, I1 Est‐ce que des punitions plus sévères découragent la conduite en état d'ébriété? Une étude empirique des lois canadiennes sur l'ivresse au volant. Ce texte tente de mesurer empiriquement les effets des lois sur l'ivresse au volant mises en place au Canada entre 1976 et 1992. En général, les punitions pour ivresse au volant ont eu un impact limité sur le nombre de décès de conducteurs en état d'ébriété. D'autre part, les tendances dans le nombre de décès de conducteurs en état d'ébriété sont reliées à la mise en place de législations obligeant le port de la ceinture de sécurité par les provinces. On peut dire que la mise en place de lois sur le port obligatoire de la ceinture de sécurité est associée à une chute de 27 pour‐cent dans le nombre de décès de conducteurs en état d'ébriété. Ces résultats suggèrent que beaucoup plus vies pourraient être épargnées en mettant l'accent sur des mesures qui amélioreraient la sécurité des véhicules.

Suggested Citation

  • Anindya Sen, 2001. "Do stricter penalties deter drinking and driving? An empirical investigation of Canadian impaired driving laws," Canadian Journal of Economics/Revue canadienne d'économique, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 34(1), pages 149-164, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:wly:canjec:v:34:y:2001:i:1:p:149-164
    DOI: 10.1111/0008-4085.00067
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    Cited by:

    1. Castillo-Manzano, José I. & Castro-Nuño, Mercedes & Fageda, Xavier, 2015. "Are traffic violators criminals? Searching for answers in the experiences of European countries," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 38(C), pages 86-94.
    2. Anindya Sen & May Luong, 2008. "Estimating The Impact Of Beer Prices On The Incidence Of Sexually Transmitted Diseases: Cross‐Province And Time Series Evidence From Canada," Contemporary Economic Policy, Western Economic Association International, vol. 26(4), pages 505-517, October.
    3. Chung Jinhwa & Joo Hailey Hayeon & Moon Seongman, 2014. "Designated Driver Service Availability and Its Effects on Drunk Driving Behaviors," The B.E. Journal of Economic Analysis & Policy, De Gruyter, vol. 14(4), pages 1543-1567, October.
    4. 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.
    5. Anindya Sen, 2005. "Do Stricter Penalties or Media Publicity Reduce Alcohol Consumption by Drivers?," Canadian Public Policy, University of Toronto Press, vol. 31(4), pages 359-380, December.
    6. Yiqun Chen & Frank Sloan, 2014. "Subjective Beliefs, Deterrence, and the Propensity to Drive While Intoxicated," NBER Working Papers 20680, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.

    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • H7 - Public Economics - - State and Local Government; Intergovernmental Relations
    • I1 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health

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