Pay Fine For Speeding, Get Paid For Not Speeding |
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File under Safety Statistics
Author: Mike Werner
Location: Normandy, France
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Most kids know the carrot and the stick approach (though many kids don't like carrots). Do something naughty and you get the stick, do something good and you get a carrot (or more likely an increase in your allowance, or at least some sweets).
But the carrot & stick approach doesn't only apply to children. According to a recent National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA  ) study, it works great with road users; cars and motorcycles. In the study, they placed a GPS in 8 cars, which then got turned over to 50 different riders for a week. The drivers were instructed that if they kept to the speed limits, they would each be rewarded $25. But anytime a driver would go over the posted speed limit by 5 to 8 mph, they'd forfeit $0.03, and any speeding over 9 mph would cost them $0.06 (and if they got caught by the real cops, they'd not only get docked the money, but also would have to pay the real speeding ticket).
After returning to their base, when they switched off the car ignition, the GPS would show them how much money they lost. The results of the study were very encouraging, with drivers going out of their way to stay in the $25 zone.
"We found that the incentive system was incredibly effective in getting drivers to reduce their speeding," Ian Reagan, a traffic safety researcher at NHTSA tells. "Egregious speed limit violations were almost eliminated – that's driving nine or more [miles per hour] over the speed limit."
According to the NHTSA, insurance companies could be interested in this approach. Place a GPS that records speed on your motorcycle (or car), and if you have behaved, reduce your insurance premium.
All sorts of repressive measures don't work (it's just a form of revenue, people keep speeding). Radars, speed traps, flashing signs, etc. But if you reverse the situation, and pay you for not speeding, would that work?
Interesting idea... would you be bothered?
Via: AutoBlog
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