Why Do Some Motorbike Riders Wear a Helmet and Others Don'T? Evidence from Delhi, India

48 Pages Posted: 22 Mar 2014

See all articles by Michael Grimm

Michael Grimm

Erasmus University Rotterdam; University of Passau; IZA; DIW Berlin

Carole Treibich

Aix-Marseille School of Economics

Abstract

We focus on helmet use behavior among motorbike users in Delhi. We use a detailed data set collected for the purpose of the study. To guide our empirical analysis, we rely on a simple model in which drivers decide on self-protection and self-insurance. The empirical findings suggest that risk averse drivers are more likely to wear a helmet, there is no systematic effect on speed. Helmet use also increases with education. Drivers who show a higher awareness of road risks are both more likely to wear a helmet and to speed less. Controlling for risk awareness, we observe that drivers tend to compensate between speed and helmet use. The results can provide a basis for awareness-raising policies. Improvements to the road infrastructure bear the risk of leading to risk-compensating behavior.

Keywords: road safety, helmet use, risky health behavior, self-protection, self-insurance, India, risk-taking behavior

JEL Classification: D10, I10, I15, K42, R41

Suggested Citation

Grimm, Michael and Grimm, Michael and Treibich, Carole, Why Do Some Motorbike Riders Wear a Helmet and Others Don'T? Evidence from Delhi, India. IZA Discussion Paper No. 8042, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2412863 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2412863

Michael Grimm (Contact Author)

Erasmus University Rotterdam ( email )

Kortenaerkade 12
P.O. Box 29776
The Hague, 2502LT
Netherlands

HOME PAGE: http://www.iss.nl

University of Passau ( email )

Innstrasse 29
Passau, 94032
Germany

HOME PAGE: http://www.wiwi.uni-passau.de/grimm.html

IZA ( email )

P.O. Box 7240
Bonn, D-53072
Germany

DIW Berlin ( email )

Mohrenstraße 58
Berlin, 10117
Germany

Carole Treibich

Aix-Marseille School of Economics ( email )

3 Avenue Robert Schuman
3 Avenue Robert Schuman,
Aix-en-Provence, 13628
France

Do you have negative results from your research you’d like to share?

Paper statistics

Downloads
77
Abstract Views
584
Rank
563,377
PlumX Metrics