A revised penalty system for traffic offences was introduced in 1996. The concrete effects of the renewal were studied during 1996-1998 using both questionnaires and statistical data. The first chapter of this report presents the personal opinions regarding the new system of both traffic offenders and non-offenders just after the introduction of the system and after one year of implementation. The drivers' opinions regarding traffic offences in general and their own driving behaviour in particular are also presented. The results showed that drivers were generally not very well aware of the system and its content, and that the level of knowledge had not increased during the one year follow-up period. The system was on the whole not considered very effective. The younger drivers did not regard traffic offences as severe as the older drivers, although they did believe police surveillance to be more effective, especially when it comes to speeding. This amplifies the importance of keeping the risk of apprehension at a high level in order to prevent speeding. Drivers of different age have different reasons for committing traffic offences. It is therefore suggested that, apart from informing drivers better and getting rid of some slackness in the system, the corrective measures following an offence could be different for different driver groups. In the second chapter a profile is drawn of drivers who commit traffic offences. These drivers drive considerably more than drivers in general, and they have a higher risk of having a traffic accident. There were no differences between young male and female drivers. The preventive effects of the system are treated in the third chapter. The overall effect had been as intended, and especially new, 18-19 year old drivers showed good knowledge of the system and its implications. The number of young drivers who had been involved in a traffic accident had also decreased. There were also fewer young drivers who had committed more than one traffic offence , a positive specifically targeted effect. The intervention threshold, on the other hand, seems to have been heightened, especially regarding professional drivers. This was not one of the goals of the renewal. One especially problematic aspect in view of the credibility of the system was the delay between a new driver's first offence and the legal measure, ie. the written reminder to the driver of the consequences of an offence. The time-lag was in the mean over three months, during which time approximately a third of the drivers had committed another offence. (Author/publisher)
Samenvatting