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05-26-2009, 11:34 AM
Study: More traffic tickets, fewer accidents
Fewer tickets lead to more accidents.
Fewer tickets lead to more accidents.
Essentially, those were the conclusions of a 2008 study of Massachusetts traffic data that proved true the conventional wisdom: the heavier the police presence, the safer roads become. It is one of the few studies examining the relationship between the number of traffic tickets issued and accidents.
"Writing tickets and enforcing traffic laws matters," said a co-author, Towson University economics professor Michael Makowsky.
"Especially as you garner a reputation as an area with lax enforcement, people are going to drive a little more recklessly," he said.
The study, written with George Mason University professor Thomas Stratmann, focused on whether roads in towns that sought to raise revenue through traffic violations became safer.
The survey examined 21 months of data collected by Massachusetts police departments between 2001 and 2003. Officers wrote 619,104 traffic tickets - 38 percent for speeding, 13 percent for seat belt violations, 12 percent for not stopping at a stop sign and 9 percent for inspection sticker violations.
Using a complex formula, the study found that for each increase of 100 tickets there were 12 fewer accidents.
The study also found safety is more dependent on traffic law enforcement than on specific traffic laws. For instance, stronger enforcement would reduce accidents more than lowering the speed limit.
Fewer tickets lead to more accidents.
Fewer tickets lead to more accidents.
Essentially, those were the conclusions of a 2008 study of Massachusetts traffic data that proved true the conventional wisdom: the heavier the police presence, the safer roads become. It is one of the few studies examining the relationship between the number of traffic tickets issued and accidents.
"Writing tickets and enforcing traffic laws matters," said a co-author, Towson University economics professor Michael Makowsky.
"Especially as you garner a reputation as an area with lax enforcement, people are going to drive a little more recklessly," he said.
The study, written with George Mason University professor Thomas Stratmann, focused on whether roads in towns that sought to raise revenue through traffic violations became safer.
The survey examined 21 months of data collected by Massachusetts police departments between 2001 and 2003. Officers wrote 619,104 traffic tickets - 38 percent for speeding, 13 percent for seat belt violations, 12 percent for not stopping at a stop sign and 9 percent for inspection sticker violations.
Using a complex formula, the study found that for each increase of 100 tickets there were 12 fewer accidents.
The study also found safety is more dependent on traffic law enforcement than on specific traffic laws. For instance, stronger enforcement would reduce accidents more than lowering the speed limit.