Can health public expenditure reduce the tragic consequences of road traffic accidents? The EU-27 experience

Abstract

This study uses data for the EU-27 countries in the period 1999-2009 to estimate determinants of road traffic fatality rates. Controlling for country attributes and road safety policy variables, we examine the influence of variables related with the national health systems; the number of hospital beds per kilometer and the percentage of health expenditures over gross domestic product. We find evidence that the density of hospital beds contributes substantially to the fall in traffic-related fatalities. Furthermore, the quality of general medical facilities and technology associated with increases in health expenditure may be also a relevant factor in reducing road traffic fatalities.