List of tables ix List of figures x Acknowledgments xii Selected symbols and abbreviations xiii

Abstract.Promoting investments in energy saving technologies is an important means for achieving environmental goals. Unfortunately, the empirical evidence on success conditions of policies is scarce. Based on a survey among Dutch firms, this paper sets out to identify the factors that determine the investment behaviour of firms, their attitude towards various types of energy policy, and their responsiveness to changes in environmental policy in the Netherlands. On the basis of discrete choice models, this paper aims to investigate empirically whether (and how) these strategic features vary over firm characteristics and over sectors. JEL-codes: D20, Q40, Q48

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Accident costs are an important component of external costs of traffic, a substantial part is related to fatal accidents. The evaluation of fatal accident costs crucially depends on the availability of an estimate for the economic value of a statistical life. The aim of the current paper is to present an overview of estimates contained in the empirical literature on the economic valuation of statistical life in road safety. Meta-analysis is used to determine which variables are appropriate to explain the variance of the value of statistical life (VOSL) estimates. The analysis shows, among other things, that the magnitude of estimates of the VOSL depends on the research method, as there is a significant difference between stated and revealed preference studies. It also shows that VOSL estimates cannot simply be averaged over studies, as the magnitude of a VOSL estimate is directly related to the initial level of risk to be caught up in a fatal traffic accident as well as the risk decline implied by the research setup .

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a b s t r a c tSpeeding is an important cause for young drivers' involvement in traffic accidents. A reduction in driving speeds of this group could result in fewer accidents. One way of reducing driving speed is offering explicit financial incentives. In collaboration with five Dutch car insurance companies, we tested the effects of a Pay-As-You-Drive insurance fee on driving speed. A group of young drivers could save money on their monthly insurance fee by keeping the speed limit. Driving speed was monitored through GPS technology during one year. Analyses showed that, relative to pre-and post-measurement, as well as a control group, the introduction of a Pay-As-You-Drive insurance fee significantly reduced speed violations of young drivers.

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