This paper discusses the possibility that the deterrence model generally used to account for the effect of enforcement on driving behaviour may not be the most appropriate explanation of this effect. The deterrence model is discussed in terms of its basis in normative models of decision making, and an alternative approach based on models of human decision-making in natural environments is developed and discussed. Recent evidence from five MUARC projects bearing on this issue is discussed and discussion then centres on the likely benefits of revisiting our understanding of the mechanism underlying the effect of drink-driving and speed enforcement on behaviour. It is concluded that continued reliance on the deterrence model as an explanation and a guide for countermeasure development is likely to be unproductive. (A)
Samenvatting