If you have issues viewing or accessing this file contact us at NCJRS.gov. " . .~~ -.-~--.- .. .r ~'v't,'" '.' '" ..-e::it: 3 e'1 t¢ 1 t\f) National Criminal Justice Reference Service nCJrs This microfiche was produced from documents received for inclusion in the NCJRS data base. Since NCJRS cannot exercise control OVEr the physical condition of the documents submitted, the individual frame quality will vary. The resolution chart on this frame may be used to evaluate the document quality. ." . 2 5 1.0 :: ~1P·8 11111 . W ~1I13.2_ .2 W Il.Iw ~I~~ :i m~ I.l:. u --.1.1 tJ.U.='LI. \\\\\1.25 111111.4 111111.6 / ) MICROCOPY RESOLUTION TEST CHART " X· NATIONAL BUREAU OF STANDARDS-J963-A >£'MMARY AND CRITIQUE O,k'fHE LITERATURE PERTAINING TO THE EFFECTS OF INCREASED ENFORCEMENT OF TRAFFIC LAWS ON IMPROVING TRAFFIC SAFETY (REQUCING ACCIDENTS) ;/' Microfiln;ing proc~du;e'~ ~~~d to c;~~t~ this fich~ ~~~;ply ~~~ the standards set forth il) 41CFR 101-11.504. r .J Points of view or opinions stated, in this document are The Illinois Department 'of those of the author(s) and do not represent the official Law Enforcement position or policies of the U. S. Department of Justice. Division of State Police Field Operations Command . National Institute of,J~stice . ~"'"~~J~, "'.'.' United States Department of Justice I Washington, D. C. 20531 , . ,~. l~ (/ I ~------.-.''-- 77844 u.s, Department of Justice National Institute of Justice This document has been reproduced exactiy ,as recel~ed from the person or organization originating it. Points of view or opinions stat~d In this document are those of the authors and do, not nec~ssarJ y represent the official position or policies of the National Institute of Justice. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT Permission to reproduce this copyrighted material has been granted by Ri chard A~ Rau.::.b _____ I The author wishes to acknowledge the contribution of Ms. Mary Roy to the National Criminal Justice Reference Service (NCJRS). Further reproduction outside of the NCJRS system requires permis­ and staff of the Transportation Library of Northwestern University. They were sion of the copyright owner, able to find all of the materials referenced and subsequently reviewed. / Additionally, they suggested several other avenues of pursuit. While most of the summaries and critiques are based on other Sources, the author assumes full SUMMARY AND CRITIQUE OF THE LITERATURE I PERTAINING TO THE EFFECTS OF ,. responsibility for any misinterpretations or quotations out of context. All INCREASED ENFORCEMENT OF TRAFFIC LAWS ON IMPROVING TRAFFIC SAFETY questions and comments should be directed to the author. (REDUCING ACCIDENTS) I , ., j NCJRS i MAY 6 J9BI The Illinois Department of .'- Law Enforcement R. A. Raub Division of State Police December, 1979 Field Operations Command Revised June, 1980 'l l - ~------.----------------~----------- TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEGEMENT • . SUMMARY AND CRITIQUE OF THE LITERATURE INTRODUCTION • • . PER T AINING TO THE EFFECTS OF a » ) /I ... /I • » /I • • II » , , , 2 INCREASED ENFORCEMENT OF TRAFFIC INCREASED ENFORCEMENT OF TRAFFIC LAWS LAWS ON IMPROVING TRAFFIC SAFETY . .. , 4 (REDUCING ACCIDENTS) United States • • • • • • • • -California. • • • • • • • . 6 -Champaign, Illinois. • • • • • • • • • . • • 6 INTRODUCTION -Champaign County, IJlinois • • •• • • • : : : : • 7 -Creve Coeur, Illinois • • • • • • • • • • • . • • 8 -El Paso, Texas. • • • • • • • • • • • • 8 This summary and critique of traffic safety literature has been . · . 9 -Evanston, Illinois. • • • • • • • • • Zi -Flint, Michigan • • • . • . • • • • • • • 9 prepared to help uncover those elements of traffic law enforcement that have -Fort Lauderdale, Florida • . • • • 10 -Illinois • • • • . • . · . 11 led to improvements in traffic safety, generally as measured by fewer M· h· • • . • • • • • • • • • • • • • • . • - IC Igan • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 12 -Minnesota. • •. • • . 13 , accidents. Particular emphasis is placed on specific projects where the police -North Dakota • • • • • . • • • • . • • • . · . 14 -Park Ridge, Illinois. • • • • • • • . • • • • • • . • • 14 have increased their enforcement, and the changes have been measured and -Sacramento, California . 16 -Springfield, Illinois • . · . 16 reported. In some cases, the only report on a project is what has appeared in a - Tacoma, Washington • • • • • . · . 17 -Texas ....... · . 17 trade journal. It has not included sufficient data to support the claims of the - Wisconsin • . · . ." 18 . • • 1,1 • • 18 authors and to allow validation of ' those claims. Other Countries . -Denmark • • • • • • • • • . 21 Each summary of a report generally includes a critique. This is -Great Britain • • • . 21 -New Zealand • • • • • • . • • • . 21 limited to the conclusions drawn by the authors or criticisms by other authors. -Toronto, Canada. 21 . 23 Often the results from the research cannot be validated either because of ENFORCEMENT OF LAWS PROHIBITING OWL ./ . • • • 25 weaknesses in the methodology or inadequacies in supporting data. One RESEARCH RELATED TO ENFORCEMENT OF SPECIFIC LAWS . 29 common analytical fault is a failure to account for the phenomenon "regression Reduction in Speeds • • • • • • Effects on Driving Behavior. • . • • • 31 to the mean." This occurs with random events such as traffic accidents which ... 34 OTI-IER ASPECTS OF ENFORCEMENT vary about an average over time. When the frequency is at its highest during a . • • • 36 General. • • . • • • . period, it is likely to decrease during the next. This fault can be avoided by Cost-Benefit Analysis . 37 . .. 42 using trends for the analysis and the use of controls or other comparisons SUMMARY ••• . ... .j , . • •• 45 . wherever possible. BIBLIOGRAPHY . , , . , . , , .. .. 46 This paper generally is restricted to those reports describing changes in enforcement of traffic laws related to change in traffic accidents. It also -2- ~ I _______---..:. ____"'"""'"--- __~-------I----~-~--~---~~-- ,~ ___----ri -- I f I ! } t I includes studies in which attempts have been made to measur:e the effect of '1 : INCREASED ENFORCEMENT OF TRAFFIC LAWS I I 1 increased enforcement on the reduction of traffic violations such as speeding / Since 1945, the end of World War II, there have been many attempts l .... I and driving while under the influence of alcohol. Such research has been based t to study the effects of increased enforcement of traffic laws as it relates to j r. on the assumption that reducing those violations will help lead to fewer , improved driving. Some of the earlier studies were reported by Jeffcoate accidents. While there may appear to be a'logical connection between speeding \ ("Effect of Motor Patrols on Accidents"), Kunz ("How Enforcement Affects the and accidents, the research has not been sufficient to prove causality. ! Driver's Behavior"), and Shumate ("The Effect of Decreased Patrol on I A second restriction attempted in this summary and critique is that I Accidents, Diversion, and Speed"). These studies have not been limited to the the studies included have generally been completed during the last decade. United States; Great Britain, the European countries, New Zealand, and I1 Preferable would have been studies completed since 1974 (reflected particularly f\ Australia each have partcipated in projects designed to measure the effects of in the United States change in driving resulting from decreases in fuel supplies, !J increased enforcement of traffic laws on reducing accidents. However, the bulk increa,ses in the price, and a nationally mandated speed limit of 55 m.p.h.). In ,t of the work has been performed in the United States. The reason lies with the general, this restriction was met particularly because the U.S. Department of I : funds that have been made available by the U.S. Department of Transportation ~ I ! ' ~ .. J through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). During Transportation, under sponsorship of the National Highway Traffic Safety I , ! , Administration, has placed increasing emphasis on projects of increased ! the past ten years, there have been three programs that have received funds and enforcement. However, older studies have been, included where their i on which reports have been prepared: Fatal Accident Reduction Enforcement \I: ! ' contributions are either unique or serve as a basis for subsequent research. \ (FARE), Alcohol Safety Action Program (ASAP), and Selective Traffic Enforce­ I:I l ment Program (STEP). It is the latter program that has served as a basis for A majority of the discussion in this summary and critique appears in 1-' I , the first section which reviews research covering the increased enforcement of I; many projects administered by the Illinois Department of Transportation / ! traffic laws and subsequent reduction in accidents. A second section presents a through its Division of Traffic Safety. Their title has been Concentrated brief discussion of the substantially large body of, leterature covering the Traffic Enforcement Program (CTEP). Ii,, , enforcement of laws prohibiting the driving while under the influence of ... The studies that have been reported generally have not shown that alcohol. The remaining two sections describe the effects of increased increased enforcment of traffic laws definitely helps reduce traffic accidents. enforcement and fewer traffic violations and cost-benefit analyses. ~! There are several reasons: 1) , , Inadequate methodology in the design of the project of \ij inadequate statistical analyses; ~l I 2) 1 Interference from