Thomas Zlatoper

John Carroll University · Department of Economics and Finance

This paper seeks to identify key factors that drive public or legislative support for the legalization of recreational marijuana across U.S. states by using a panel of annual state-level data from 2013-2018. Existing research has only focused on a few states and it is unclear whether such results are generalizable. This study incorporates a unique...

Motor vehicle crashes are a leading cause of death in the United States. Further, cigarette smoking is associated with negative health and work outcomes. However, scant research on data for the United States has analyzed the association between cigarette smoking rates and motor vehicle death rates. This study fills that void. It estimates the assoc...

Purpose This paper analyzes the impact of obesity on the probability of a motor vehicle fatality (highway death rate) and on its component probabilities: the probability of a fatality, given a crash (vulnerability rate) and the probability of a crash (crash rate). Design/methodology/approach Using state-level data for 1995–2015, the paper estimate...

This paper analyzes the influence of illicit drug use on highway fatal outcomes by estimating regression models using data for the 48 contiguous U.S. states for the years 2009 and 2010. The models include a representative, but not exhaustive, collection of roadway fatality determinants. The impact of illicit drug usage on the motor vehicle death ra...

This paper analyzes the influence of driving knowledge on highway safety by estimating regression models on U.S. state-level data over six years (2005 through 2010). The models incorporate a representative set of motor vehicle fatality determinants. Driving knowledge—as measured by performance on the GMAC Insurance National Drivers Test—has a stati...

This paper analyzes the effects of cell phone usage and economic freedom on motor vehicle death rates by estimating regression models on data for three years across 38 countries. The models incorporate a representative set of motor vehicle fatality determinants. Results indicate that cell phone use has a statistically significant nonlinear impact o...

This paper analyzes the determinants of motor vehicle fatalities in Kansas. The objectives of the study include the following: $ Conduct a literature review of motor vehicle safety studies. $ Formulate a theoretical model of the determinants of motor vehicle fatalities. $ Estimate the statistical significance of the various determinants. $ Compare...

Since the late 1970s, occupant fatalities in U.S. large truck accidents have generally shifted from truck occupants to occupants of other vehicles (primarily autos and light trucks). This paper analyzes that shift by estimating a regression model of a death ratio (other vehicle occupant fatalities to truck occupant fatalities) using annual time-ser...

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to empirically investigate the linkage between obesity and motor vehicle deaths. Design/methodology/approach The paper specifies a model that explains highway fatalities, which accounts for obesity in its set of potential determinants. State‐level data are utilized in this paper. The values for all variables ar...

This paper uses seemingly unrelated regression analysis and annual Ohio data for 1975–2000 to estimate a model for six different types of motor vehicle fatalities: car occupants, light truck occupants, large truck occupants, motorcyclists, pedestrians, and pedalcyclists. It finds that while certain government highway safety regulations (e.g., speed...

This paper analyzes the influence of highway safety regulation enforcement efforts on motor vehicle fatalities. It estimates a regression model in which such deaths depend on these efforts as well as economic conditions, driver characteristics, government regulations, and locational factors, using 1973–2000 annual Ohio data. Statistically significa...

Objective. This article assesses the effectiveness of mandated seat belt usage. The theory of offsetting behavior asserts that when drivers feel safer, they compensate by driving less cautiously. As a consequence, any lifesaving effects from mandated safety devices such as seat belts could be significantly diminished or entirely offset. Methods. Th...

This book provides an accessible collection of techniques for analyzing nonparametric and semiparametric regression models. Worked examples include estimation of Engel curves and equivalence scales, scale economies, semiparametric Cobb-Douglas, translog and CES cost functions, household gasoline consumption, hedonic housing prices, option prices an...

In this paper, we analyze the service provided by the 13 largest U.S. passenger airlines to the 100 most populous U.S. metropolitan areas in 1989. We classify the route systems by their nature and geographic scope using a variety of measures based on route-level data. We then identify individual airline hub locations; derive and calculate several m...

This paper examines the factors which affect game-day attendance at National Football League games during the 1991 season. Using a Tobit analysis, the model includes economic as well as quality of game variables as explanatory variables. This analysis reveals that: higher ticket prices reduce attendance with the demand appearing to be inelastic; an...

This book examines causes and deterrents of transportation accidents by mode--automobiles, truck, air, recreational boating, commercial vessels and railroads--with the focus on accidents in the U.S. The examination enhances our understanding for developing effective multimodal public policies for improving transportation safety. The discussion reve...

Although the airline industry has been studied extensively since passage of the Airline Deregulation Act of 1978, relatively little effort has gone into examining how hub location affects the level of service and degree of competition found at airports in the system. To help close this gap, we investigate the geographic distribution of airline hub...

This paper uses 1987 state-level data and least-squares regression to estimate a model of motor vehicle deaths in the United States. The model includes several factors accounted for in previous cross-sectional studies of these fatalities. The estimates suggest that income, the ratio of urban to rural driving, expenditures on highway police and safe...

This paper is a selective survey of models explaining motor vehicle death rates in the United States. First, it reviews Peltzman's 1975 study of the effect of automobile safety regulation and critiques of the study. Then it summarizes several subsequent statistical studies of highway fatalities. The surveyed studies are typically regression analyse...

This paper surveys econometric studies of freight transportation demand which have been published since the mid-1970s. It describes the variables, data sources, and estimation procedures utilized by the studies. In addition, it summarizes their statistical results. The studies included in this survey typically accounted for freight rates and servic...

Using a model developed to examine the determinants of air fares, the authors discuss the relationship between airline industry competitiveness and fare increases.

This paper uses 1970 cross-sectional data for the USA to estimate an extended version of Peltzman's (1975) model of motor vehicle deaths. In estimating the model, the issue of functional form is considered. Four standard specifications of the model are tested against a less restricted formulation, and all are rejected at a significance level of 0.0...

Sumario: Highway accidents: causation -- Auto accidents -- effectiveness of deterrent policies -- Truck accidents -- Air accidents -- Recreational boating accidents -- Commercial vessel accidents -- Railroad accidents: deterrent policies and other observations -- Improving transportation safety: lessons learned