The aim of the study is to analyze the positive externalities from road freight transport considering the time lag between transport and economic indicators. Selected performance indicators of road freight transport and economy for the period 2011-2023 in the Slovak Republic, its individual regions and the European Union were examined. Correlation analysis was used to determine the existence and strength of relationships. However, an innovative approach considering the time lag was also taken into account by applying a modified Pearson correlation coefficient, where the interdependence between variables was detected by considering a 1- and 2-year time lag of the impact of road transport on the selected positive externalities. The results showed that there are strong relationships between the length of road infrastructure, the number of trucks and economic indicators in both the SR and the EU. In contrast, the relationship between transport performance in ton-kilometers and most economic indicators was weaker. The time shift effect was more pronounced only for transport performance and the amount of goods transported within the SR, where the strength of the correlation increased significantly when economic indicators were shifted by 2 years compared to the normal period.
Zuzaniak et al. (Thu,) studied this question.