(with apologies to Art Linkletter)
Charles Whelan, author of The Naked Economist book and a Yahoo! Finance column of the same name, reports on the latest research findings by economists on the subject of traffic safety. Here are the questions, and economists' answers:
1. Do car seats for children over age two actually make them safer, compared to just wearing a regular seatbelt?
2. Do graduated licenses for young drivers make the roads safer? (Graduated licenses place limitations on new drivers during a specified learning period. Depending on the state, for example, they may only be allowed to drive during the day or with an adult in the car.)
3. Do motorcycle helmets save lives?
4. How dangerous are senior drivers?
The answers are:
1. Probably not.
2. Yes, but not for the reason you think.
3. Yes, definitely.
4. Very dangerous, but mostly to themselves.
I like to think that high quality statistical and economic analysis trumps anecdotal evidence when policymakers are making decisions. That's why I enjoy reading, doing, and thinking about economics. And why I often get frustrated at the policymaking process. Still, it's far better than the alternative.
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