Abstract
Two fundamental assumptions ought to underlie any attempt to understand driver behavior in relation to traffic laws: first, citizens have the obligation to comply with the laws of the state; and second, traffic laws are beneficial and contribute to drivers' safety. This paper reviews some of the explanations, in relation to general theories about the violation of law among non-delinquent citizens. The paper examines if certain unique characteristics of traffic laws might make compliance especially difficult, namely: traffic laws have a more ubiquitous presence in people's everyday lives than most other laws; compliance with some traffic laws required constant effort and alertness, e.g., maintaining speed limit; some traffic laws are not dichotomous, and it is possible to violate them only a little, e.g., exceeding the speed limit a little, or coming to a nearly full stop at a stop sign.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Title of host publication | Traffic and transport psychology |
| Editors | Geoffrey Underwood |
| Publisher | Elsevier |
| Pages | 487-503 |
| ISBN (Electronic) | 9780080550794 |
| ISBN (Print) | 9780080443799 |
| State | Published - 2005 |