Escaping Death: Individual Mobility and Female Mortality

Abstract

We document that access to individual mobility reduces female mortality using random variation from motorcycle credit lotteries involving about one million individuals. The strongest determinant of reduced female mortality is fewer fatal assaults in public spaces, suggesting mobility enables women to avoid dangerous environments. Access to individual mobility also reduces fatal domestic violence exposure and facilitates transitions from high-mortality risk occupations. For men, motorcycle access yields no net mortality effect; health improvements are offset by increased motorcycle accident fatalities. Back-of-the-envelope calculations suggest that the benefits of reduced mortality offset the cost of investing in a motorcycle for women.

Keywords: household finance, female mortality, mobility, assault, domestic violence, health risk, occupational sorting

JEL Classification: G23, J16, J62, J12, I10, D14, K42, O12