PENALTIES AND ROAD SAFETY

REPRESSIE EN VERKEERSVEILLIGHEID

The object of inflicting penalties is to ensure a rapid and safe flow of traffic within the limits imposed by law. Law in itself is only one of the means available to achieve this aim. Penalties on their own are not sufficient. There exists a correlation between the recording of offences and the occurrence of accidents; the same correlation does not exist between penalties and the subsequent behaviour of the road users. The economic justification of penalties depends on their severity and nature. It would be possible to ensure greater efficiency in traffic surveillance by the judicious selection and education of members of the police force, by a better use of surveillance services, and by adapting the measures used to the aim sought. The penalties currently inflicted do not appear to be effective, that is to say they do not result in a great and permanent improvement in road user behaviour. In our society, traffic offences and resulting penalties are not considered shameful. A new system is proposed which would combine the allocation of tickets and points to offenders together with the imposition of penalties and the re-education and surveillance of guilty road users. This should improve the economic efficiency of the penalty system. /TRRL/

• Authors:
  • Pote, R J
• Publication Date: 1972

Language

• Dutch

Media Info

• Features: References;
• Pagination: 11 p.
• Serial:
  • Aspects Techniques de la Securite Routiere
  • Issue Number: 51

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Behavior; Benefit cost analysis; Crashes; Crimes; Economic efficiency; Fines; Highway safety; Legislation; Offenders; Penalties; Police; Police powers; Prevention; Safety; Traffic law enforcement; Traffic surveillance; Traffic violators; Travelers
• Uncontrolled Terms: Efficiency
• ITRD Terms: 1643: Accident; 9001: Behaviour; 8518: Bibliography; 6527: Correlation (math, stat); 5911: Efficiency; 1556: Legislation; 1516: Offence; 1508: Offender; 1522: Police; 1755: Road user; 1665: Safety; 755: Traffic
• Subject Areas: Economics; Highways; Law; Operations and Traffic Management; Safety and Human Factors; Security and Emergencies; Society; I73: Traffic Control; I83: Accidents and the Human Factor;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00097694
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Road Safety Study and Research Fund, Belgium
• Files: ITRD, TRIS
• Created Date: Sep 30 1975 12:00AM