The Broader Impact of Mass Shootings on Traffic Fatalities

Are mass shootings associated with increases in traffic fatalities?In this quasi-experimental event study of the 10 deadliest US mass shootings from 2008 through 2023, traffic fatalities increased by 14.3% on the day following these events, corresponding to 19.9 additional deaths nationwide. The increase coincided with peak public internet search interest and was consistent across driver demographics, geographic regions, and conditions.In this cross-sectional study, major mass shootings were associated with substantial increases in next-day traffic fatalities nationwide, suggesting that widely publicized tragic events may impair driver attention and judgment.

Corresponding Author: Anupam B. Jena, MD, PhD, Department of Health Care Policy, Harvard Medical School, 180 Longwood Ave, Boston, MA 02115 (jena@hcp.med.harvard.edu).

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