The Peltzman Effect: Why Safety Features Make Us Less Safe
In the 1970s, the U.S. government mandated new safety features in cars: seatbelts, airbags, reinforced frames, and improved braking systems. The goal was simple: reduce traffic fatalities. Economist Sam Peltzman studied what actually happened. His findings were shocking: while driver deaths stayed roughly the same, pedestrian and cyclist deaths increased. Why? Because drivers felt safer-so they drove more recklessly. The Paradox The safer people feel, the more risks they take. ...