Road safety enforcement

ROAD SAFETY ENFORCEMENT 

• Road rules will only be obeyed if people believe that not obeying them will result in unwanted outcomes like fines or license cancellation. 
• The police is responsible for enforcing road rules and should be trained and given the tools (such as speed detection and alcohol testing equipment) to do their job properly 
• It is generally accepted that enforcement influences driving behaviour through two processes
• General deterrence 
• General deterrence occurs when road users obey road rules because they perceive a substantial risk of being detected and punished if they don’t
  
• Specific deterrence.
• Specific deterrence occurs when someone who has broken the rules is punished and stops the unlawful behaviour as a result.

• Enforcement of road rules should be aimed primarily at causing general deterrence because then it is not necessary for police to catch and punish road users for them to be encouraged to obey the rules. 

  To cause general deterrence, enforcement should be

• accompanied by publicity
• unpredictable and difficult to avoid
• a mix of highly visible and less visible activities
• continued over a long period of time.