LAW, SCIENCE, AND ACCIDENTS - THE BRITISH ROAD SAFETY ACT OF 1967

• NCJ Number: 13516
• Author(s): H L ROSS
• Date Published: 1973
• Length: 78 pages
• Corporate Author: American Bar Foundation
• Sale Source: American Bar Foundation
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: REPRINTED FROM THE JOURNAL OF LEGAL STUDIES, V 2, N 1 (JANUARY 1973)

Annotation

PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS OF A VARIETY OF DATA OBTAINED IN GREAT BRITAIN FOR THE PURPOSE OF EVALUATING AN ACT AUTHORIZING TESTING DRIVERS FOR INTOXICATION.

Abstract

THE CLAIMS OF EFFECTIVENESS IN REDUCING THE CASUALTY RATE ARE EXAMINED, AS ARE THE RAMIFICATIONS OF THE LEGISLATION IN THE CRIMINAL COURT SYSTEM. PARTS II AND III EXPLORE THE RATIONALE AND HISTORY OF THE ROAD SAFETY ACT AND EXPLAIN ITS PROVISIONS. PART IV CONCERNS THE IMPACT OF THE LEGISLATION ON CASUALTIES. PARTS V AND VI PRESENT EVIDENCE OF THE RAMIFICATIONS OF THE LEGISLATION WITHIN THE LEGAL SYSTEM. PART VII EXPLORES THE EFFECT OF THE ACT ON ITS WIDER AUDIENCE, ESPECIALLY THE DRIVING PUBLIC. IN SUM, THE STUDY PROVIDES SUPPORT FOR THE HYPOTHESIS THAT SUBJECTIVE CERTAINTY OF PUNISHMENT CAN DETER SOCIALLY HARMFUL BEHAVIOR AS EXEMPLIFIED BY DRINKING AND DRIVING IN GREAT BRITAIN. THE PRINCIPLE METHOD USED IN THIS RESEARCH IS THE STUDY OF STATISTICAL TRENDS OVER TIME, EMPLOYING INTERRUPTED TIME-SERIES ANALYSIS WHERE POSSIBLE. THE NECESSARY DATA, OBTAINED FROM PRIVATE AND OFFICIAL FILES IN GREAT BRITAIN DURING THE SUMMER OF 1971, WERE SUPPLEMENTED BY INTERVIEWS TO LEARN THE HISTORY OF THE LEGISLATION AND THE REACTION OF THE INTEREST GROUPS EFFECTED.