Self-Reported Effectiveness of Double-Fine Zones as a Speed Control Measure

This study evaluated the effectiveness of signs alerting drivers to double traffic fines in highway work zones, school zones and safety corridors. The evaluation was based on a driver survey that investigated the decision to exceed speed limits across a range of driving contexts and risk categories. The findings indicated that personal assessments of risk change from one hypothetical situation to another, suggesting that people make a more or less calculated decision to violate the speed limit, based on those risks. The findings also suggested that people perceive a higher relative risk associated with traffic fines if the situation is one in which a doubling of traffic fines may apply. Finally, the results showed that interview subjects who reported being aware of double-fine zones tended to have somewhat higher assessments of the risk associated with traffic citations, traffic fines and higher insurance rates.