In this paper traffic surveillance is seen as an infringement upon the freedom of vehicle drivers. Psychological reactance is a motive with the goal of restoring lost freedoms. Applied to road traffic this signifies that traffic surveillance measures can provoke compensatory, deviant driver behaviour. In a laboratory experiment it was demonstrated that under even minor freedom-infringing conditions a part of the experimental subjects would drive more quickly when driving a simulator. The susceptibility, that is the sensitivity to infringement of freedom, varies between individuals. The young are affected more than the old and men more than women. There are three intervention methods available: (1) The vehicle driver will anticipate from the start as little freedom of action as possible in road traffic. How little these expectations are present determines how little reactance will be provoked by infringements upon freedom; (2) Traffic surveillance will be carried out in areas where it will be as evident as possible to the driver. How little an infringement of freedom is seen as arbitrary, that is to say unjustified, determines how little reactance will be liberated; and (3) the importance of traffic surveillance measures will be heavily publicised, to lead to an increased understanding. For this one can consider taking the target group from amongst the younger and the male drivers. (A)
Abstract