Association between economic fluctuations and road mortality in OECD countries

Eur J Public Health. 2014 Aug;24(4):612-4. doi: 10.1093/eurpub/cku014. Epub 2014 Feb 24.

Abstract

Using longitudinal data from 32 Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries (1970-2010), this article investigates association between annual variations in road mortality and the economic fluctuations. Two regression models (fixed-effects and random-coefficients) were adopted for estimation. The cross-country data analyses suggested that road mortality is pro-cyclical and that the cyclicality is symmetric. Based on data from 32 OECD countries, an increase of on average 1% in economic growth is associated with a 1.1% increase in road mortality, and vice versa.

MeSH terms

  • Accidents, Traffic / economics
  • Accidents, Traffic / mortality*
  • Economic Development / statistics & numerical data
  • Economic Recession / statistics & numerical data
  • Economics / statistics & numerical data*
  • Humans
  • Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development / economics
  • Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development / standards*