TY - JOUR

T1 - Did liberalising bar hours decrease traffic accidents?

AU - Green, Colin

AU - Heywood, John

AU - Navarro Paniagua, Maria

PY - 2014/5

Y1 - 2014/5

N2 - Legal bar closing times in England and Wales have historically been early and uniform. Recent legislation liberalised closing times with the object of reducing social problems thought associated with drinking to “beat the clock.” Indeed, using both difference in difference and synthetic control approaches we show that one consequence of this liberalisation was a decrease in traffic accidents. This decrease is heavily concentrated among younger drivers. Moreover, we provide evidence that the effect was most pronounced in the hours of the week directly affected by the liberalisation: late nights and early mornings on weekends. This evidence survives a series of robustness checks and suggests at least one socially positive consequence of extending bar hours.

AB - Legal bar closing times in England and Wales have historically been early and uniform. Recent legislation liberalised closing times with the object of reducing social problems thought associated with drinking to “beat the clock.” Indeed, using both difference in difference and synthetic control approaches we show that one consequence of this liberalisation was a decrease in traffic accidents. This decrease is heavily concentrated among younger drivers. Moreover, we provide evidence that the effect was most pronounced in the hours of the week directly affected by the liberalisation: late nights and early mornings on weekends. This evidence survives a series of robustness checks and suggests at least one socially positive consequence of extending bar hours.

KW - Alcohol

KW - Bar hours

KW - Regulation

KW - Traffic accidents

U2 - 10.1016/j.jhealeco.2014.03.007

DO - 10.1016/j.jhealeco.2014.03.007

M3 - Journal article

VL - 35

SP - 189

EP - 198

JO - Journal of Health Economics

JF - Journal of Health Economics

SN - 0167-6296

ER -