NCJ Number
236513
Journal
British Journal of Criminology Volume: 51 Issue: 5 Dated: September 2011 Pages: 789-803
Date Published
September 2011
Length
15 pages
Annotation
This research study examined the specific deterrent effect of higher fines on drink-drive recidivism in New South Wales (NSW), Australia.
Abstract
Fines are an extremely common sanction in most Western countries and, in some countries, have become an important source of government revenue. Despite this, the deterrent effectiveness of high fines has received little research attention. This article reports the results of a two-stage least-squares analysis of the specific deterrent effect of high fines on drink-driving offenders in (NSW), Australia, in which judicial severity served as the instrumental variable. Despite substantial variation in the fines imposed by magistrates on drink-drivers, no significant deterrent effect from higher fines was found. Various explanations for the failure to observe a deterrent effect are discussed. (Published Abstract)