tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2830084253401570472.post7618969263065623063..comments2024-03-28T09:22:36.967+13:00Comments on Offsetting Behaviour: Offsetting BehaviourEric Cramptonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15831696523324469713noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2830084253401570472.post-8901048507013465132009-03-25T12:06:00.000+13:002009-03-25T12:06:00.000+13:00I/S: that isn't quite true. Imagine that you're t...I/S: that isn't quite true. Imagine that you're the owner of a road and you want to maximize profits. People are willing to pay less to drive on your road if there's a high chance that a lunatic will kill them while they're driving on it. So, you'll want to have some minimal safety standards. You'll keep increasing the safety standards until the cost of imposing them doesn't bring in enough extra toll revenue to cover the costs.Eric Cramptonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15831696523324469713noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2830084253401570472.post-69821424351046589592009-03-25T09:05:00.000+13:002009-03-25T09:05:00.000+13:00Max Marty- they wouldn't care, they'd just sue you...Max Marty- they wouldn't care, they'd just sue you for any damage to their roadway.TinCanFuryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05974902888464099686noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2830084253401570472.post-16862157357116722362009-03-24T16:28:00.000+13:002009-03-24T16:28:00.000+13:00I couldn't agree more... I wonder how privately ow...I couldn't agree more... I wonder how privately owned roadways/highways would try to solve this problem?Max Martyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16722575050094502550noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2830084253401570472.post-3616796108625247162009-03-23T22:06:00.000+13:002009-03-23T22:06:00.000+13:00Of course people get value from being able to pay ...Of course people get value from being able to pay less attention to their driving. I wouldn't begrudge them it at all. Rather, policymakers ought to give some thought to the offsetting effects when crafting policy. So, in making cars safer, they may simultaneously increase the number of accidents, decrease the car occupants' fatality rate, and increase the fatality rate for pedestrians. <BR/><BR/>Drivers are always optimizing. It's the externalities that are the problem for me, especially when the externalities are exacerbated by government regulations inducing the externality.Eric Cramptonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15831696523324469713noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2830084253401570472.post-15185845579337238442009-03-21T16:01:00.000+13:002009-03-21T16:01:00.000+13:00This addresses the problem of safety, but isn't th...This addresses the problem of safety, but isn't there a safety-speed/efficiency tradeoff? Isn't it a highly productive use of one's time to [have a] "cellphone in one hand and a cup of coffee in the other, steering the vehicle with a knee while occasionally glancing at what’s ahead"? <BR/><BR/>If I am looking for a total chance of dying of .001, isn't it better to fulfill it AND go fast/talk on the phone rather than fulfill it going slowly and being prevented from multitasking?Max Martyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16722575050094502550noreply@blogger.com