European Tribune - Community, Politics & Progress.

Zero Tolerance still works

by DoDo
Mon Jan 11th, 2010 at 05:43:25 AM EST

A year ago, in the provocatively titled Where Zero Tolerance works, I wrote about the relationship of road traffic deaths and road safety policies, in connection with the apparent success of new stricter rules against speeding and drunken driving introduced in Hungary.

With another year having passed, police celebrated continued success:

This further reduction by 169 deaths must be compared with the government's goal of 300, however.

As last year, the issue of whether we see signal or noise came up, I note that the next strongest year-on-year change, the 2001-2002 jump, coincided with a change of rules, too (a raise of speed limits and the introduction of a points system).

A year ago, I observed that 100 traffic deaths per million inhabitants was a rather good separator of new EU membersand the EU-15 in 2007 (with EU-best Malta, and laggards Greece, Belgium being the exceptions). In 2009, 81 deaths/million probably makes Hungary the first post-'communist' EU member to reach the worse-off members further West (for example Austria: 82 and 75 deaths/million in 2008 resp. 2009) -- which also means that there is still much room for improvement (for example Germany: 54 and 50 deaths/million in 2008 resp. 2009). But police action is not the only factor.

The 18% reduction in traffic deaths far outstrips the 7.12% reduction in total road traffic accidents. Among the latter, those caused by drunkenness reduced only 8.24%, so action against speeding might have had more effect than that against drunken driving (which involved 15780 people losing their drivers' license).

Related news: starting 1 January 2010, the traffic rule that cars have to slow down to 30 resp. 40 km/h at railway crossings was removed -- why, is not clear to me...

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Zero Tolerance still works | 4 comments (4 topical, 0 editorial, 0 hidden)

Seed comment (none / 1)

I note Eurostat still did not upload the 2008 road traffic death statistics, so I could only find updates for two other countries.

*Traitor*, n.
A benighted individual who perceives an illusory distinction between serving his nation and abetting the criminals who govern it.

by DoDo on Mon Jan 11th, 2010 at 05:46:55 AM EST

Re: Zero Tolerance still works (4.00 / 4)

Is there pressure in Hungary regarding cell phone use and, especially, texting while driving? The whole "driving while distracted" meme has gotten lots of attention in the USA of late, with some studies showing that it is as dangerous as driving drunk.

As the Dutch said while fighting the Spanish: "It is not necessary to have hope in order to persevere."

by ARGeezer (ARGeezer at eurotrib.com) on Mon Jan 11th, 2010 at 03:58:50 PM EST

Re: Zero Tolerance still works (none / 1)

Cell phone use while driving doesn't get a lot of attention here (disclaimer: such news or talk may get even less attention from me, a non-driver), but it is definitely recognised. There is a long-standing prohibition of calling without transmitter, but recently... <checking> from August last year, high penalties were set (10-20,000 Ft, that's €37.5-75 right now; and two points). I don't know if rules mention texting specifically.

*Traitor*, n.
A benighted individual who perceives an illusory distinction between serving his nation and abetting the criminals who govern it.

by DoDo on Tue Jan 12th, 2010 at 05:44:48 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Zero Tolerance still works (none / 1)

Another contributor in Arkansas is the condition of the roads. They are generally well surfaced and maintained but most state roads built more than 20 years ago, along with most county roads have no shoulder. Some have steep drops as well.

As the Dutch said while fighting the Spanish: "It is not necessary to have hope in order to persevere."

by ARGeezer (ARGeezer at eurotrib.com) on Tue Jan 12th, 2010 at 03:11:08 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Zero Tolerance still works | 4 comments (4 topical, 0 editorial, 0 hidden)

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