Temporal Disconnection: Impact of a Massive Internet Outage on Traffic Incidents in Ciudad de Buenos Aires
Date
2024-02
Authors
Gómez García, Facundo Gonzalo
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Gibbons, María Amelia
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
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Publisher
Universidad de San Andrés. Departamento de Economía
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.
Description
Fil: Gómez García, Facundo Gonzalo. Universidad de San Andrés. Departamento de Economía; Argentina.