Air Pollution and Road Safety: Investigating the Impact of PM2.5 on Traffic Accidents in the United States

Air pollution is widely recognized for its detrimental effects on public health, yet its potential impact on road safety has received comparatively less attention. Prior studies suggest a positive association between air pollution and accident risk, but results vary across regions, accident types, and available datasets. Building on existing literature in environmental economics, this research examines whether higher levels of PM2.5 pollution increase traffic accidents in the United States. The analysis uses a county-year panel dataset that combines air pollution data with traffic accident records. Panel regression models are used to estimate the relationship between pollution exposure and accident rates while controlling for observable factors that may influence road safety. By improving understanding of the environmental determinants of road safety, the study contributes to policy discussions on transportation safety and environmental regulation, highlighting how air quality may influence not only health outcomes but also everyday driving risks.