Better traffic enforcement could cut accident/death rate

A study published in The Lancet (summarized on Reuters Health Online) shows that consistent traffic enforcement saves lives while inconsistent enforcement around the world may be costing thousands of lives each year.

[T]he researchers found that for every 80,000 convictions, one death was prevented; for every 1,300 convictions, one emergency department visit was prevented; and for every 13 convictions, $1,000 was saved in costs to society, such as property damage and lost time.

"[T]the lives saved are often passengers, pedestrians or other vulnerable road users harmed from another driver's carelessness," [said the lead author, Dr. Donald A. Redelmeier.] . . .

Among licensed drivers, convictions for traffic-law violations cut the risk of later fatal crashes, particularly during the following month but also during the second month afterwards, the report indicates.

But, Redelmeier noted, the benefits of the convictions are short-lived, and "tend to fade three to four months after the conviction."

The researchers did not find a similar decrease in crash risk among suspended drivers.