Driver safety arms race explained

The driver safety arms race is phenomenon whereby car drivers are incentivized to buy larger auto-vehicles in order to protect themselves against other large auto-vehicles.[1] [2] [3] [4] This has a spiralling effect whereby cars get increasingly larger, which has adverse overall effects on traffic safety.[5] [6] It is an example of a prisoners' dilemma, as it can be individually rational to attain larger vehicles while having adverse outcomes on all traffic users.[7]

Notes and References

  1. White . Michelle J. . 2004 . The "Arms Race" on American Roads: The Effect of Sport Utility Vehicles and Pickup Trucks on Traffic Safety . The Journal of Law and Economics . en . 47 . 2 . 333–355 . 10.1086/422979 . 10175854 . 0022-2186.
  2. Web site: 2013-11-12 . Heavy cars and SUVs: The external costs of the vehicle-weight "arms race" . The Journalist's Resource . en-US.
  3. News: Grabar . Henry . 2018-11-30 . The SUV Arms Race . Slate . en-US . 1091-2339.
  4. News: 2024 . Americans’ love affair with big cars is killing them . The Economist . 0013-0613.
  5. News: 2022 . SUVs protect drivers, but make everyone else less safe. How do we change that? . CBC.
  6. News: 2019 . Driver safety 'arms race' fuelling boom in gas-guzzling SUVs, says journalist . CBC.
  7. Tay . Richard . 2002 . The Prisoner's Dilemma and Vehicle Safety: Some Policy Implications . Journal of Transport Economics and Policy . 36 . 3 . 491–495 . 20053916 . 0022-5258.

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