NCJ Number
82191
Date Published
1981
Length
11 pages
Annotation
The nature of traffic laws, why people violate them, and the effect of direct and indirect enforcement activities on drivers are discussed.
Abstract
Traffic laws are directed toward an action in traffic which is hazardous even when vehicles, streets, and people involved are in legal condition, as well as causing or permitting an illegal and possibly hazardous condition of a driver or pedestrian in traffic, streets or highways used by traffic, and a vehicle used in traffic. Traffic law violations occur because people have physical disabilities that may prevent them from obeying the laws, such as color blindness, which prevents the proper interpretation of traffic signals; drivers may be ignorant of certain traffic laws or fail to notice signs and signals designed to regulate traffic; and some drivers are chronic offenders because of physical, mental, and character disorders. Variable factors influencing traffic violations include temporary emotional states, examples set by other drivers on a particular road, and the circumstances of a particular trip. Traffic law enforcement activities provide a negative stimulus designed to encourage drivers to avoid the unpleasant consequences of law violation. The experience of a fine or a license suspension can produce increased care in driving so as to avoid another violation. Observation of police patrols and knowledge about strict traffic law enforcement in a community can have an indirect effect upon driving. By focusing on particularly hazardous driving patterns, law enforcement can change driving habits in a community. Four references are provided.