Factors Associated with the Enactment actment of Safety Belt and Motorcycle Helmet Laws

摘要

It has been widely shown that road safety laws, such as motorcycle helmet and safety beltlaws, have a significant effect in reducing road fatalities. Although an expanding body of literaturehas documented the effects of these laws on road safety, it remains unclear which factorsinfluence the likelihood that these laws are enacted. This study attempts to identify the factors thatinfluence the decision to enact safety belt and motorcycle helmet laws. Using panel data from 31countries between 1963 and 2002, our results reveal that increased democracy, education level, percapita income, political stability and more equitable income distribution within a country areassociated with the enactment of road safety laws.