KATHERINE'S HOMEPAGE
PSYCHOLOGY 409A
Chapter 11 SPEED LIMITS
The Great Motorist Rebellion
Presented by Katherine Gimeno
I. What is speeding?
>"speed limit + x" rule
*For
example drivers who consider the "the start of speeding" to be x=15
miles per hour (mph) above speed limit in a 35 mph zone, speeding begins at 50
mph
*the
size of the x varies according to
neighborhood norms and tends to remain
constant
>This 15 mph divide between
the law and the cultural norm is the source of the great American speed limit
rebellion that is fomenting in activist groups
>Speed limits arouse
vehement reactions from drivers saying that:
*they believe fixing speed
limits is a government ploy for giving additional unauthorized taxes, which
arouses resentment against police
*many feel that good drivers
who can handle higher speeds are being made to suffer for bad drivers, forcing
lower speeds for everyone
>Slow drivers arouse fury
>Speed is relative
speed
in itself isn't an important factor in highway collisions
>However, Federal Studies
show that drivers at 10-15 above the average actual speed have the lowest
accident rate, and even those over 20-25 over have no more than the average
driver. The real killers are at 10 or
more under, and 30 or more over
II. Citizen Activism Against
Government Paternalism
Paternalism
definition = system under which an authority treats those under its control by
regulating their conduct and supplying their needs
An increasing polarization is
taking place between those who pressure government officials to initiate more
aggressive approaches against aggressive drivers, and those who oppose further
government intervention as intrusive and unnecessary
Ideological left vs.
Ideological Right
>Ideological
left- promote government intervention and legislation restricting the behavior
of motorists, such as electronic traffic control devices, total speed
enforcement, and maintenance of a national database of aggressive drivers
(Group Citizens For Roadway Safety, National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration NHTSA)
>Ideological
right-called "assertive drivers," consider themselves skilled,
complain bitterly about law enforcement, and have aggressive attitudes toward
drivers who consider themselves incompetent (National Motorist Association NMA,
Association of British Drivers ABD, Federal Highway Administration FHWA)
*The
National Motorist Association (NMA) was created for drivers who share this view
and want to represent the interest and rights of American motorists. Anything that leads to more gov't regulation
is viewed with suspicion and believe governments set speed limits below the
rate most drivers actually travel to increase revenue from ticketing
Study by NMA compared fatality
rates between states that raised the speed limit and states that kept existing
speed limits.
Result- fatality rates dropped
in both groups. Raising speed limits
did not affect overall safety
Many drivers refuse to
acknowledge that speed is a contributing factor because it reduces the time
available to react in an environment where mistakes are common
(Predictable
speeds are critical for drivers to gauge their decisions and the anticipated
responses. With out predictable speeds,
the element of risks increases sharply, which might turn into road rage. We need predictability to reduce errors)
I.
Police Presence
>Police patrols put a
damper on aggressive driving and encourage quick reductions in speed
>Police officers drive over
the speed limit
>Police should spend their
time fighting crime, not patrolling roads to check on drivers
II.
Traffic Calming
As defined by the Institute of
Transportation Engineers (ITE),
Traffic Calming is the
combination of physical measures that reduce the negative effects of motor
vehicle use, alter driver behavior and improve conditions for non- motorized street
users. (Eg. of traffic calming objects include
speed bumps, stop signs, yield signs, rumble strips, traffic lights)
>Traffic
Calming goals aim to develop indirect methods of influencing the behavior of
drivers
Benefits of Traffic Calming
·
Allows your own neighborhood to protect the
young and old
·
Reduces the need for police enforcement
·
Enhances the street environment
·
Encourages water infiltration into the
ground
·
Increases access for all modes of
transportation
·
Reduces cut through motor vehicle traffic
III.
Electronic Traffic Surveillance
>Red light running is the
leading cause of urban crashes
Annually
it kills 8000 people and injures one million more
>US. Secretary of
Transportation in 1998 announced a nationwide campaign against red light running,
which provided federal and private funding for additional red-light cameras to
enlarge local law enforcement
Photo radar consists of a
camera, computer, and a radar.
The
radar detects the speeding car, the camera takes a picture of the driver and the
license plate, and the computer records the time and place, storing the
information in an accessible database
The
registered owner of the vehicle receives a citation by mail and drivers can
make an appointment to view their pictures
Supporters believe that photo
radar cuts accident rates at intersections where they are installed.
Benefits: fewer police
officers needed on traffic duty, more pressure on drivers to comply with
regulations, reducing the number and severity of collisions,
penalyzing violators with
fines to pay for a control system that
protects everyone, and avoiding discriminatory
treatment of drivers
But opponents disagree with
the interpretation of the evidence.
They object to enforcement triggered by a "ticket
machine"
They
don't believe that slowing traffic leads to greater safety and want speed
limits to be realistic. Techniques such
as improvements in light synchronization and road design are known to reduce
accident rates with out slowing traffic
Also an invasion of privacy
IV.
Speed Trap Registries Around The World
Example
from Texas
290Northwest Freeway Road
Mile
Marker: between Fairbanks N Houston and Pinemont
Date
Added: Sat Jul 5 02:59:12 CDT 1997
Speed
Measuring Technology Used: Radar
Average
Ticket Cost: Unknown
Ground
Running Trap: Local PD
Type
of Car Used: Marked
Used:
Weekly
Scanner
Frequency:
Latitude:
29.879613
Longitude:
-95.529969
Additional
Info: There are several traps here: Southbound (toward downtown Houston)
V.
Activism Against Aggressive Drivers
Citizens Against Speeding and
Aggressive Driving
This
organization encourages communities to introduce traffic calming methods,
lobbies for more legislation and law enforcement against agressive drivers, and
pressures car manufacturers to change their focus in commercials
Knoxville Road Rage Action
Page
Form
filled out describing an objectionable driver with make of car, model, date
observed, and driver's actions for others to see and sent to insurance
companies)
Database for Unsafe Driving
Motto:
Don't get mad, get even
Emotional Dynamics in activism
directed against bad drivers
1)
undergoing an agonizing or scary experience
while driving
2)
compulsion to vent and retaliate
Websites
1. http://www.hi.lp.org/ryan/statslaw.htm
2. http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/people/injury/enforc