Research backs MoBikeFed's approach to improving road safety

Legislation endorsed by MoBikeFed and under consideration in the 2004 Missouri legislative session has as its underlying philosophy these two ideas:

• Target the proven worst drivers with greater penalties and incentives to improve their driving
  
• Get the very worst drivers, particularly those with bad records who then hurt or kill people, right off the road for a long time (up to 10 years--compared to one year under the current system)

This is because we believe that a relatively small proportion of very bad drivers are responsible for a disproportionate number of roadway deaths and injuries, and that some few drivers are so irresponsible that the only remedy is to keep them from behind the wheel altogether. These drivers have such bad driving habits and attitudes that they just won't--or can't--change.

A research study by Frederick P. Rivara summarizing research on "Child Pedestrian Injuries in the United States" gives solid evidence to back up MoBikeFed's viewpoint:

[T]he driver's failure to search and detect the crossing pedestrian or to judge correctly the pedestrian action was found to be a factor in nearly one third of pedestrian-motor vehicle collisions. The study by Baker et al of drivers involved in fatal pedestrian collisions indicated that 46% were probably negligent and contributed to the collision. Although the pedestrian was negligent in 60% of cases, the driver was also negligent in nearly one quarter of these cases. Fifty-eight percent of the drivers who were probably negligent had poor driving records before the pedestrian crash. . . .

In the study by Baker et al, 23 of the 180 drivers who killed pedestrians had been previously assigned to driver rehabilitation clinics. In addition, the rate of speeding convictions in the 4 months after the fatal collision was as great in this group as before the collision. It is difficult to imagine a more potent stimulus for behavior change than killing a pedestrian, yet even this was ineffective for many drivers.

The full study, with citations backing every statement quoted here, is available in PDF format.