1
Return

Can transport-related pricing policies save lives? A road safety perspective

delete2026-05-23
delete0
delete
OA
AI
M
Mohammad Mehdi Besharati
A
Ali Soltani *
DOI:10.1016/j.retrec.2026.101763delete
deleteOriginal
deleteShare
deleteSave
View PDF
Abstract

Abstract

En 中文
Understanding the socioeconomic effects of transport-related factors, specifically fuel prices and traffic fines on car use and road safety is an ongoing research topic. There is a significant need for studies focusing on low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) due to their specific economic contexts. To fill this gap, the impact of these interventions on monthly road fatality rates from 2005 to 2024 in Iran was analyzed using a SARIMAX model. Petrol prices and traffic fines were adjusted by per-capita-income to account for the mediating effects of economic conditions. Results showed that while petrol price-to-income ratio had negative correlation with petrol consumption (r = -0.729), the absolute petrol price had positive association (r = 0.734), highlighting the importance of adjusting fuel price for income when studying its impact on car use (and road safety) in LMICs. A 10% increase in petrol price-to-income ratio (traffic fines-to-income ratio), might be associated with 11.7% (8.3%) decrease in the expected fatalities per 10 million population. Accordingly, road safety improvement could be a substantial positive side effect of fuel subsidies reform. Moreover, traffic fines need to be regularly increased based on an economic indicator to maintain their long-term effectiveness. The possible impacts of three pricing policy scenarios were further discussed. The findings offer actionable guidance for socio-economic planners: calibrate income-indexed fines, adopt fiscally neutral fuel price adjustments with equity safeguards, and optimize enforcement deployment where marginal fatality reduction is highest. The framework is adaptable for anticipating and responding to future shocks in mobility and safety due to price/income hikes.
Keywords:
Road fatalities
LMICs
Per capita income
Petrol pricing
Adjusted traffic fines
SARIMAx
AI Summary

AI Summary

Key information extracted from the uploaded paper, including a brief overview, abstract, background, key highlights, visual analysis, and future outlook.

Journal

Research in Transportation Economics cover
Research in Transportation Economics
IF:
3.4
Papers:
243
Citations:
3.1K

Organization

U
university of new england
Scholars:
542
Papers: 306
Citations: 0
I
Isfahan University of Technology
Scholars:
8.9K
Papers: 8.5K
Citations: 8.7K
Cited Papers

Cited Papers

Citing Papers

Citing Papers