Temporal Disconnection: Impact of a Massive Internet Outage on Traffic Incidents in Ciudad de Buenos Aires

Abstract

This study investigates the impact of a massive internet outage and mobile phone service disruption in Argentina on August 7, 2021, on road traffic accidents in the City of Buenos Aires. Using highfrequency data on injury records from road accidents between 2019 and 2021, the analysis reveals a significant increase in traffic accidents during the outage period from 4:00 PM to 7:00 PM. This finding persists across various study periods and is supported by robustness checks including placebo analyses and randomization techniques. Controlling for factors such as traffic flow and climatic variables, the study suggests that the internet outage remains a key factor influencing road safety in Buenos Aires. While the intrinsic mechanisms underlying this relationship require further exploration, the findings have crucial implications for road safety management and accident prevention policy. Future research integrating analysis of exogenous events with new technologies for detecting cell phone usage violations can provide deeper insights into the mechanisms linking network disruptions to driving behaviors, thereby informing more effective accident prevention strategies.