Insights into road safety enforcement

In this overview we focus on the effectiveness of different road enforcement actions. After establishing the relationship between road user behavior and road safety, we concentrate on speeding, drinking and driving, and seat belt use. Then, we look at compliance enhancement policies, including engineering approaches, informational campaigns, regulation and enforcement. Finally, different monitoring and sanctioning strategies are discussed in terms of their effectiveness in reducing accident risk on roads. Overall, a single enforcement measure is shown to be insufficient to substantially reduce accident risk in the long term. Enforcement strategies combining several compliance enhancing policies are generally more effective.