Deterrence and the Value of Different Automated Speed Enforcement Regimes
Traffic law enforcement is mainly concerned with general and specific deterrence. General deterrence aims to influence potential offenders, through fear of detection and the consequences, to avoid offending. Specific deterrence aims to encourage offenders, through experience of apprehension and the consequences, not to re-offend. Different approaches to speed enforcement are taken in jurisdictions across Australia. For example, the Victorian covert mobile speed camera program provides an example of enforcement aimed at specific deterrence supported by road safety publicity to create general deterrence, whereas the Random Road Watch program in Queensland relies on highly visible policing with randomised scheduling across multiple sites and provides an example of enforcement aimed at general deterrence.
This PhD research will examine the relative value of different automated speed enforcement regimes, including the acceptability of covert versus overt enforcement, understanding community and offender perceptions of risk and deterrence and their short- and long-term impact on road user behaviour, and will identify geographic, demographic, temporal and other trends. It will also assess the potential reduction in road trauma in optimising the different approaches, with a view to informing future enforcement strategies and improving road safety outcomes. An additional area of investigation could be the deterrence value of automated speed enforcement versus speeding fines issued directly by Police.
Main supervisor: Professor Stuart Newstead
Associate supervisor: Dr Angelo D’Elia