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Driving under the (cellular) influence: the link between cell phone use and vehicle crashes
journal contribution
posted on 2023-06-08, 15:04 authored by Saurabh Bhargava, Vikram PathaniaWe investigate the causal link between driver cell phone use and crash rates by exploiting a natural experiment induced by the 9 pm price discontinuity that characterizes a majority of recent cellular plans. We first document a 7.2 percent jump in driver call likelihood at the 9 pm threshold. Using a prior period as a comparison, we next document no corresponding change in the relative crash rate. Our estimates imply an upper bound in the crash risk odds ratio of 3.0, which rejects the 4.3 asserted by Redelmeier and Tibshirani (1997). Additional panel analyses of cell phone ownership and cellular bans confirm our result.
History
Publication status
- Published
Journal
American Economic Journal: Economic PolicyISSN
1945-7731Publisher
American Economic AssociationExternal DOI
Issue
3Volume
5Page range
92-125Department affiliated with
- Economics Publications
Full text available
- No
Peer reviewed?
- Yes
Legacy Posted Date
2013-09-10Usage metrics
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