COVID‐19 lockdown and traffic accidents: Lessons from the pandemic
Stephen Barnes, Louis‐Philippe Beland, Jason Huh, Dongwoo Kim
Abstract
Abstract We use a regression discontinuity design to study the effect of the COVID‐19 lockdown on traffic accidents. Based on administrative data from Louisiana, we find that the lockdown order led to a significant decrease in traffic accidents (−47%), including accidents involving injury (−46%) and ambulance (−41%). We also find evidence of heterogeneous changes in the decline of drivers involved in accidents, with a smaller decline among individuals aged 25 to 64, male, and nonwhite drivers.
Topics & Concepts
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)Regression discontinuity designPandemic2019-20 coronavirus outbreakSevere acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)Poison controlDemographic economicsGeographyDemographyBusinessMedical emergencyMedicineEconomicsStatisticsVirologyMathematicsOutbreakSociologyDiseasePathologyInfectious disease (medical specialty)Traffic and Road SafetyCOVID-19 epidemiological studiesUrban Transport and Accessibility