Empty Streets, Speeding and Motor Vehicle Collisions during Covid-19 Lockdowns: Evidence from Northern Ireland

Covid-19 and lockdowns have had spillover effects on other health outcomes. Motor vehicle collisions (MVC) are likely to have been affected by the pandemic due to, among others, less traffic volume and speeding on empty streets. This paper studies the impact of the pandemic on MVCs in Northern Ireland. Using monthly data on injuries and deaths, we find a steep decline in slight and serious injuries compared to what would have been expected in the absence of the pandemic. However, we find no effect on the number of deaths. Based on data from speeding tickets, a plausible explanation for the differential effect on the number of injuries and deaths is speeding on empty streets during the pandemic.