Which enforcement methods can be studied regarding their effectiveness? : inventory and selection for effect studies.

The police enforces different types of traffic behaviour. The effects of some enforcement actions are known, others we know little about. This report presents an inventory of the different methods of traffic enforcement. The report results in a selection of types of enforcement actions about which too little is known so far, and the effects of which can be investigated. This is necessary for deciding which issues should be included in future research. This study first made an inventory of the enforcement methods that are used by the police. The selection was made in two different ways. First literature and expert knowledge were used to determine what we know of the safety effects of different enforcement methods. Next a number of enforcement experts were consulted. Three issues received special attention when the inventory was made, because they people who are active in the area of enforcement indicated that these are relevant. Firstly, it was specifically investigated whether the enforcement methods were suitable for use in a nodal orientation. This involves police enforcement being concentrated at junctions (nodes) where flows of people, goods, money, and information meet. The focus is not on one topic; different topics are combined — this is also the case for topics that are not part of traffic enforcement, but can be observed in traffic. Secondly, it was investigated whether information-based traffic enforcement goes together with the enforcement methods that were discussed above. This means that the police carry out enforcement in times and places where the greatest safety gains can be achieved, and adjust the efforts on the basis of topical information. Thirdly, it was investigated whether the enforcement methods discussed above pay special attention to dealing with repeat offenders. This report may be accessed by Internet users at: http://www.swov.nl/rapport/R-2012-13.pdf