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. ...