The Accident Externality from Trucking

40 Pages Posted: 11 Sep 2017 Last revised: 5 Jul 2023

See all articles by Lucija Muehlenbachs

Lucija Muehlenbachs

Resources for the Future; University of Calgary

Stefan Staubli

University of Calgary

Ziyan Chu

Resources for the Future

Multiple version iconThere are 3 versions of this paper

Date Written: September 2017

Abstract

The presence of a heavy truck on the road can impose an externality if accidents occur that would not have otherwise. We find each additional truck on the road increases the risk of a truck accident—but also, at an even higher rate, the risk of a car-on-car collision. Our estimates imply two percent of all car-on-car collisions can be attributed to trucks on the road. This negative externality falls on all road users through higher car insurance premiums: one truck, driving for a year in the same zip code, increases the insurance premium of each new enrollee by $0.48/year.

Suggested Citation

Muehlenbachs, Lucija and Staubli, Stefan and Chu, Ziyan, The Accident Externality from Trucking (September 2017). NBER Working Paper No. w23791, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3035139

Lucija Muehlenbachs (Contact Author)

Resources for the Future ( email )

Washington, DC 20036
United States

University of Calgary ( email )

University Drive
Calgary, Alberta T2N 1N4
Canada

Stefan Staubli

University of Calgary ( email )

University Drive
Calgary, Alberta T2N 1N4
Canada

Ziyan Chu

Resources for the Future ( email )

1616 P Street, NW
Washington, DC 20036
United States

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