Teenage Driving, Mortality, and Risky Behaviors

Citation

Huh, Jason & Reif, Julian (2021). Teenage Driving, Mortality, and Risky Behaviors. American Economic Review: Insights. vol. 3 (4) pp. 523-39

Abstract

We investigate the effect of teenage driving on mortality and risky behaviors in the United States using a regression discontinuity design. We estimate that total mortality rises by 5.84 deaths per 100,000 (15 percent) at the minimum legal driving age cutoff, driven by an increase in motor vehicle fatalities of 4.92 deaths per 100,000 (44 percent). We also find that poisoning deaths, which are caused primarily by drug overdoses, rise by 0.31 deaths per 100,000 (29 percent) at the cutoff and that this effect is concentrated among females. Our findings show that teenage driving contributes to sex differences in risky drug use behaviors.

URL

https://doi.org/10.1257/aeri.20200653

Keyword(s)

teenage driving

Reference Type

Journal Article

Journal Title

American Economic Review: Insights

Author(s)

Huh, Jason
Reif, Julian

Year Published

2021

Volume Number

3

Issue Number

4

Pages

523-39

DOI

10.1257/aeri.20200653

Reference ID

9976