ROAD SAFETY AND CRIME

• NCJ Number: 60316
• Author(s): W CLIFFORD; J MARJORAM
• Date Published: 1978
• Length: 62 pages
• Corporate Author: Australian Institute of Criminology
• Sale Source: Australian Institute of Criminology
• Publication Type: Survey (Cross-Cultural)
• Language: English
• Country: Australia
• Note: PRICE QUOTED IS IN AUSTRALIAN DOLLARS

Annotation

THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN ALCOHOL, DRUGS, AND ROAD SAFETY ARE EXPLORED, AND THE INTERNATIONAL ROAD SAFETY SITUATION IS EXAMINED, WITH PARTICULAR EMPHASIS ON MOTORING OFFENSES IN AUSTRALIA.

Abstract

ACCORDING TO STUDIES ALREADY MADE IN AUSTRALIA AND OTHER COUNTRIES OF THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN ALCOHOL, DRUGS, AND ROAD SAFETY, BOTH ALCOHOL AND DRUGS HAVE BEEN CORRELATED AS MAJOR FACTORS IN DEATHS AND ROAD INJURIES. IN ADDITION, STUDIES ATTEMPTING TO RELATE TRAFFICE DEATHS AND INJURIES TO OTHER FORMS OF SOCIAL VIOLENCE HAVE FOUND EVIDENCE SUGGESTIVE OF CORRELATION, ALTHOUGH DATA WERE NONCONCLUSIVE. DURING THE DECADE 1968 TO 1977, 35,794 PERSONS WERE KILLED ON AUSTRALIAN ROADS, AND ALMOST 900,000 OTHERS WERE INJURED. DEATH ON THE ROAD APPEARS TO BE ACCEPTED AS A COMMONPLACE EVENT, AN ORDINARY HAZARD OF DAILY LIVING. TRAFFIC OFFENSES ARE WIDESPREAD FORMS OF CRIMINAL ACTIVITY, BOTH HARMFUL TO SOCIETY AND LEGALLY PROSCRIBED, YET ALL TOO OFTEN CONDONED THROUGH PUBLIC OPINION. THE PUBLIC DOES NOT EQUATE A PERSON WHO KILLS WHILE DRIVING WITH A NORMAL CRIMINAL. IN 1976, THE NUMBER OF ROAD DEATHS PER 100,000 POPULATION IN AUSTRALIA WAS SECOND ONLY TO THAT FOR LUXEMBOURG, OF THE 17 COUNTRIES SURVEYED. THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE INCIDENCE OF ROAD DEATHS AND INJURIES TO MURDER OFFENSES, AS A MEASURE OF VIOLENT CRIME, HAS BEEN TENTATIVELY INVESTIGATED, BUT FURTHER ANALYSIS IS REQUIRED BEFORE VALID CONCLUSIONS CAN BE DRAWN. RESEARCH INTO THE DETERRENT EFFECT OF THE ENFORCEMENT OF APPLICABLE LEGISLATION IN AUSTRALIA IS SCARCE. PENALTIES FOR OFFENSES VARY, THE MOST COMMON BEING 'CONVENTIONAL' PENALTIES SUCH AS FINES, LICENSE SUSPENSION, PROBATION, AND IMPRISONMENT. NONPUNITIVE APPROACHES, INCLUDING DIVERSIONARY ALTERNATIVES, MAY BE MORE RELEVANT TO CONTEMPORARY SOCIETY IN COPING WITH THE DRIVING-WHILE-INTOXICATED PROBLEM. APPROACHES COMBINING THERAPEUTIC AND PUNITIVE FACTORS MAY PROVE TO BE THE MOST SUCCESSFUL DETERRENTS. TABULAR DATA, GRAPHS, AND A BIBLIOGRAPHY ARE INCLUDED. STATISTICAL TABLES AND DETAILS OF A GRANT FOR A REHABILITATION SCHEME ARE APPENDED. (LWM)