What safety effects do progressive fines systems have?

No evaluation studies have been made on the effects of progressive (financial) fines on violation behaviour or on road safety. A scenario analysis – based on certain assumptions – shows that a progressive penalty system for speeding offences could result in a 5% decline of the number of road deaths in the Netherlands [9]. Important assumptions in this estimate are:

  • an 0.2 price elasticity of fines (i.e. each one percent increase in the amount of the fines results in an 0.2% decline in offences);
  • a continuing, relatively high chance of being caught for speeding offences in the Netherlands;
  • large public support for progressive fines; and
  • support of the progressive penalty system by faster and better communication with offenders.

Earlier reports that contain proposals for new road safety policy [10] [11] also put forward a system of progressive fines for repeated Wahv-violations as one of the new measures that may be expected to have a positive road safety effect.

Part of fact sheet

Progressive penalty systems in traffic

A progressive penalty system encompasses heavier or more far-reaching sanctions being imposed as one commits more offences.

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Reproduction is allowed with due acknowledgement:

SWOV (2017). Progressive penalty systems in traffic. SWOV fact sheet, July 2017. SWOV, The Hague.