Drink, death, and driving: Do blood alcohol content limit reductions improve road safety?. (13th March 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Cooper, Benjamin; Gehrsitz, Markus; McIntyre, Stuart G.
• Is Part Of: Health economics. Volume 29:Number 7(2020)
• Page Start: 841
• Page End: 847
• Publication Date: 2020-03-13
• Subjects: blood alcohol content -- difference in differences -- road traffic fatalities -- traffic accidents; Medical economics -- Periodicals; Economics, Medical -- Periodicals; Health Care Costs -- Periodicals; Health Policy -- economics -- Periodicals; Health Services -- economics -- Periodicals; 362.1
• DOI: 10.1002/hec.4016
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1057-9230

Abstract

Abstract: This study exploits a natural experiment in Scotland where the legal blood alcohol content (BAC) limit was reduced from 0.8 to 0.5 mg per 100 ml of blood while staying constant in all other parts of the United Kingdom. Using a difference‐in‐differences design, we find that this change in the BAC level had no impact on either traffic accident or fatality rates.