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'Social Pressure' can be used in many different ways in order to influence
the behaviour of individuals. For the purpose of this exercise... we are
going to break it down into five separate categories: [even though they remain
'Interlinked' in many ways,] they are... Motivation: Deterrents: Education: Social Pressure:
Enforcement: and Punishment.
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If 'Social Pressure' is exerted successfully...
in
subtle ways... then individuals do not feel 'repressed'... but will behave in a
particular way without even thinking about it... it simply becomes a part of the culture of their
society... like queuing
up at a bus stop: [or not, as the case may be,] or driving in a particular
style: [which varies a great deal from country to country even though the rules
of the road may be very similar.]
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| A rather less
subtle approach... the controversial,
but effective Advertisement which has been showing in NSW
Australia since June 2007. The ego-busting "Little Pinky"
campaign is aimed at "boy-racers" types... [a
demographic which can clearly be identified as
'high-risk.] The implication is, that those who
"speed
to impress", do so because they are "appendagely
challenged". Click
Here to see the video clip. |
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| Motivation. |
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| Some people are very
Self-Motivated and will strive
for improvement... like taking an Advanced Driver's Course. More could be encouraged to
improve... particularly if they had a definite reason for doing so... like
becoming a Road Supervisor.
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| Deterrents. |
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| While others could, at least, be Deterred from acting badly... knowing there were so many Road Supervisors
about. Drivers would
also be deterred from the worst excesses knowing that Senior
Road Supervisors could report them to the Police directly using Mobile
Phones. Anyone who was identified as a serious offender: [like a
convicted drink-driver] or a vehicle which had been identified as
registered at a false address: etc. could be targeted and intercepted by
the Police as a priority. [This Information could also be used at a
later date when a vehicle passed a Police car fitted with a new number
plate recognition computer system.] |
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| Education. |
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| Some people respond to
Education... they could have a
problem with their driving that they were totally unaware of. If it was
explained to them... what they were doing wrong... why it was wrong... and what they
should be doing... they may change their behaviour voluntarily.
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| Social
Pressure. |
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| For those who did not change their behaviour voluntarily a
little more Pressure could be brought to bare. The next strategy
would be to make Information available to those who might be able to persuade
a
driver to change their behaviour because they were in a 'Position of
Influence'... like Family: Employers: and Insurance Companies.
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| Enforcement. |
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| For those who did not responded to
Persuasion... or Coercion... perhaps a little
pro-active Enforcement might produce results. Those with high points
totals would eventually come under the control of Review Panels... who would take
a detailed look at a driver's record and do everything in their power to ensure a
driver did change and behave in an acceptable manner.
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| Punishment. |
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| This is not a totally separate
system... a driver could
be Fined, Banned or Imprisoned at any time for a serious offence... but these Punishments should be viewed as a sign of 'failure'... something to be imposed
in special circumstances... or to fall back on when other efforts are proving to be
unsuccessful... rather than the first and only strategy for raising driving
standards.
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| Inevitability. |
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| The greatest deterrent to bad behaviour is not the
severity of the 'punishment', [after all, reckless driving can already carry a
'death sentence',] but the inevitability of being caught! So,
drivers should come to realise, that under this system, drive badly, they will
be Reported... if they ignore the Warnings, they will end up at a Review
Panel... don't co-operate, they will lose their licence... carry on driving,
they will end up in Prison. In many ways life will be made more
difficult... but there would always be a viable alternative... just change their
behaviour!!
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The following...
looks at some ways that drivers might be influenced into driving in a
particular way: [including the established punishment system] and how they might react
in certain
circumstances.
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Road Supervisors.
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[Motivation and Deterrent] The road is a unique environment where every driver needs the active
co-operation of all those around them... a safe driving environment absolutely depends on
it. Though there may
be an agreed set of 'rules of engagement'... there is little that can be done if
those around you choose to break them. In fact... other drivers may inconvenience
you... harass you... threaten you... put your life and property at risk... and still there is
nothing you can legally do about it.
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Most drivers do stick to the rules... most of the time and 'Interact' in an acceptable
manner... others seem to leave a trail of harassed drivers
in their wake... persistently breaking rules... intimidating, and verbally
abusing anyone that gets in their way. At present these drivers enjoy
almost complete anonymity while out on the roads... all they have to worry about
is the odd Police car... one glimpse and they instantly change the way they are
driving.
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How would these drivers behave... if every tenth driver were a Road
Supervisor? it should be a great deterrent... knowing they could be
'Reported'
at any time for their anti-social behaviour.
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On the positive side... those who volunteered to become Road Supervisors would be making a
conscious personal commitment to improving their own driving... and being a good example
to others... helping to make the roads a safer environment for everyone. |
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Senior Road Supervisors.
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[Motivation and Deterrent] Senior Road Supervisors would have additional powers and take a much
more 'pro-active' approach. They could have access to a special phone number to provide Police with 'Real-Time' Information. At a
minor accident, [which Police would not normally attend] a Senior Road
Supervisor could ask Police to attend if there was a 'problem'. This may
be... a possible drunk driver... someone not giving the required
Information... someone becoming abusive or violent: etc. etc. They may also contact Police about vehicles being
driven in an extremely dangerous or erratic way... which Police could
intercept... if resources
allowed. Just knowing that this was a possibility should be enough for many
to avoid the worst excesses of this type of behaviour.
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Again, on the positive side...
those becoming 'Senior' Road Supervisors would be
setting a good example to others... assisting those in difficulties... and making a
very positive contribution to Road Safety.
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| Probationary Licence.
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[Motivation] A minimum of 2 years on a 'Probationary' licence for young
drivers... before graduating to a
'Full' licence... 1 year for demoted drivers. No Insurance 'loading' for those progressing from a first time
'Learners' licence, [though their premiums tend to be high already... due to
limited experience... and demographics.]
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This system sets... important 'Targets' for drivers to aim for... it should motivate
drivers to keep their points low... and discourage them from letting their points
get to high. They would need to have 15
points or less before 'earning' a Full licence... At 25 points, their insurance
premiums would rise... and their 'File' would be 'Reviewed'. At 35 points, they
would be asked to attend a Review Panel... and a whole range of restrictions would
start to be imposed. At 50 points, they would lose their licence... and have
to retake their driving test, [but without serving any specific time ban... unless this
was
imposed by a Court.] Drivers would always know the earliest date they
could 'graduate' to a Full licence... gain one more point and instantly a new
'target date' is set.
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There should also be... some initial restrictions in this period: i.e. no high performance cars or
motorbikes... lower blood alcohol levels... lower limits on the number of passengers that can be carried.
[See Licences for details.]
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| All these 'Targets'...
give a driver
something very specific to aim for: [it is very much a carrot and stick
approach] reduce the points and things will improve...
allow the points to keep rising... and things will get steadily worse and worse!
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| 'P' Plates.
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[Motivation and Deterrent] 'P' Plates should be made compulsory... just as 'L' Learner plates
are. If the Police and Road Supervisors were particularly keeping an eye on
inexperienced drivers, [and those 'high-risk' drivers demoted to 'P' plates] to make sure they
were
driving safely... they must be able to identify these
drivers. 'P' plate drivers would more likely be reported or stopped for
any displays of dangerous or aggressive driving. All drivers like
to think of themselves as 'Good' drivers... particularly young males... being demoted to a 'P' plate
[including all the restrictions that go with it] by your
fellow drivers sends out a very clear message... "you are not
a good driver".
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| There would need to be a
concerted effort for at least a year to get rid of the 'P' Plate... and hopefully good
habits would carry on once the 'Full' licence was obtained. Any driver slipping back into bad
habits... would see their points total
start to rise again... and could quickly find themselves back where they started. A
powerful incentive for them to change their ways voluntarily before it became compulsory.
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It is quite certain that...
a driver being demoted to a Probationary licence would
not be happy driving around with 'P' plates stuck to their car. While it may
have little impact on their lives: [they can still get from A-B... they wouldn't
lose their jobs] it would affect the way others viewed them... and that is something,
hopefully, they would care about.
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| Points.
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[Pressure] Road Supervisor points would only last for twelve months. A 100 point
system would allow for much greater flexibility than a system of just 12 points,
[countries vary.] It would be much less likely that 'Good' drivers would lose their
licences because
of 'a bit of bad luck'... and almost certain that serious and persistent offenders would find
their points totals steadily rise. Drivers could be quite sure, that if
they made a display of reckless driving in front of a large crowd, their points total
would rocket.
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The most effective deterrent...
is the perception that you will inevitably get caught... rather than the severity of the sentence. Behave for twelve
months... the points total could be back to
zero!
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| Reports.
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[Educational] You may consider yourself a good driver... but what would your fellow road
users think of your driving? Firstly... a Report coming through your door,
would be an opportunity for you to
get some 'Feedback'. You may not agree with a Report... but, if you received
several, all reporting you for similar things, then maybe, it would be time to take
stock, and make some changes. Bearing in mind that all these Reports would
come
from experienced drivers... you may discover that you had picked up some bad
habits that you were totally unaware of. Drivers would not really be affected until they reached
25 points... so a few Reports would not be to much cause for concern. Road
Supervisors would lose their status once they reached 10 points... so they would
have to take particular notice of any 'Feedback' they got... and make the necessary
improvements... after all, if a Road Supervisor could not make alterations to their
driving habits, then how could they expect others too.
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Reports would be sent out... to the registered address of the vehicle concerned, so
anyone using a false address for whatever reason could expect
to be found out quite quickly. The vehicle could be identified on the
Police computer... any patrol car requesting details would be informed about the possible
false address... and the vehicle could be stopped and investigated. Those
using false addresses would probably not know that a Report had been sent out
about them... and so be unaware that their details had been passed on to the
Authorities.
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| This System... is
about being prepared to 'learn' from your fellow road users... not just 'teach' them!
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| Police: Educational
'Inserts'.
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[Educational] Each time another 'distinctive' envelope dropped through the letter box,
containing a Road Supervisor's Report, it could also be accompanied by any
number of separate detailed 'Inserts' [Targeted Education] from the Police...
covering every single offence and common scenario: [although in most cases it would probably
just be
dispatched automatically by a computer programme.]
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So Firstly... 'Educational' Inserts prepared by the Experts... could be included about every offence
mentioned on a Report: [six different Offences = six different Inserts] these
could be in the form of a polite 'Tip' on how to improve their driving... or some definite 'Instructions' on changes that needed to be
made.
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Secondly... a whole range of 'Warning' Inserts could be drawn
up. Which 'Inserts' were sent would depend on the number of points already accumulated
and the nature of the offences... the 'tone' would become more severe as the
points total rose... culminating in dire 'Warnings' on the possible consequences of their
actions.
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A Report might not...
always give sufficient 'Feedback'... but this extra piece of Information from the
Police should point out exactly where a driver was going wrong. It would also give
additional authority to the Report... its inclusion would be noted on the
driver's official record... and this means they would have less of an excuse if
they ignored this guidance which then resulted in an accident.
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Once a driver... had a high enough total... a Report might be closely followed by a 'Demand'
that they attend a Review Panel to discuss their problems. |
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Driver's File.
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[Educational] Although it might
not be a 'Legal' requirement?? drivers would
be strongly advised to keep all 'Reports' filed in a safe place... as this
would become their official driving
history. There could be a space, somewhere on the Report, for a driver to
write any comments, [for their records] in case they were asked about an
incident at a
later date. Needing to write a comment about a Report, means they would really
have to think about what had been reported. It should be made
clear...
that although keeping their personal File in order might not be a 'Legal'
requirement...
it may be a costly mistake not to do so. In the event that a driver had to appear before a Review Panel, or in Court, they would be asked to bring their
File with them, [for them to refer to] the Review Panel or Court would also have a copy
in front of them.
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| They might be asked about various 'Reports' in the File,
and to read any comments they wrote at the time: [of course they could have gone
through the File subsequently and written comments... but this would still force them
to re-examine their Reports.] If a driver turned up with no File:
[claiming...
it's lost... stolen... the dog ate it!!] a Review Panel or Court may well conclude that this
driver had not been taking their responsibilities seriously.
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For those with bad records...
who did keep all their Reports... Educational Inserts...
and written Warnings... it is possible that
the sight of all that paperwork stuffed into a File... sent by many different
people... all complaining about their driving...
would eventually make them seriously
think about the way they were going.
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| Active Files.
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[Passive Pressure] a prelude to possible enforced action. If a File was 'Active' it would mean that someone was reading every
Report before it went to File. At 50 points [25 points for
Probationary drivers] a File would become 'Active' and be 'Reviewed'... perhaps no
action would be taken... or the File might just remain 'Active'... or the driver might
be asked to attend a Review Panel. A File could be 'Activated' by a
Court, [if due to appear] the Police, [because of a 'Serious Incident'] or
when a driver had
reached 75 points, [or 35 points for Probationary drivers,] the File would become
'Active'... and remain so until the points had been reduced
sufficiently... and the
driver 'discharged' from a Review Panel.
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This could also act as a deterrent... for some, just knowing that every new
Report they
received was also being read by someone else... and this could result in some
imminent action being taken against them.
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| Family.
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[Active Pressure] Anyone who knew a person's licence number would be able to
look it up on a Website and see exactly how many points that person had... or have
had at any time in the past. If there was a member of the family that was
of particular concern: [i.e. children at college: or elderly parents] it would be possible to keep an eye on their points
total... wherever they happened to be living. It is not always possible to do
anything about it... but it could give an early warning of potential problems... as
would seeing large numbers of 'distinctive' looking envelopes coming through the post. |
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| Article.
Learning
to drive: a guide for parents
— A Drivers.com guide for parents of novice drivers. Covers
several topics, including communicating in the car, how drivers
learn best, safe driving tips, and attitude. [NEW - PDF version for
easy printing.] |
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| Often those at most risk are young
drivers... possibly living at home... and relying on their parents to provide the
transport... this would provide important 'Feedback' to parents, who are in a
'Position
of Influence'. At present there is little way of knowing what happens once a young
driver disappears down the end of the street... having recently completed
their training... they are fully aware of what is expected of them... but, the way
they drive when they have a parent sitting next to them... and the way they drive
when they have their peers sitting next to them... may be two entirely different
things.
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| In theory... it would also be
possible to register an e-mail address or text number so that a Parent
could be notified immediately a Report was made... [even if this was only
a summary.] When they returned Parents could ask them about the
'Incident'... they may have no idea what the Report was referring to...
[in which case this may demonstrate a certain lack of self awareness.] They may try to give an explanation about some other
'Incident'... [which would let them know that the 'Incident' was not a
one-off.] Or they might just be 'cagey'... not wanting to drop
themselves in it! Whatever... the message should get through that
they cannot continue to act with impunity.
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| TWOC.
Stands for "Taken Without Consent". One of the most common
scenarios for TWOC are when Parents are away for some reason and one of
their kids decides to take the family car for a spin. They
invariably think that they won't have an accident and no one will find
out. All too often they will get stopped by the Police or have an
accident for which they are not insured... and a bit of fun turns into a
nightmare. This type of system should help discourage instances of
TWOC. The kids would know... even if they didn't have an accident...
just one report and they would be found out. If parents had their
vehicle registered for text-messaging to their mobile phone about
reports... they could be on the other side of the world... receive a
text... then be on the phone to their children while they're still out
having their bit of fun.
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In North America... there are private companies that offer a service along
these lines such as
'Tell-My-Mom.com' which is
specifically aimed at the Parents of teenage drivers.
If the first indication that a problem exists is a Police Officer
standing at the front door... then it may already be to late!! |
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Schools: Colleges: Universities.
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[Active Pressure] In many cases when young people start to drive they are attending
some kind of further education facility. Making Information available
either to the 'Authorities' or to 'Student Bodies' may enable them to exert a
positive influence during this period. Young males particularly pride
themselves on being 'good' drivers in the eyes of their peers...
unfortunately their definition of a 'good' driver [drive fast and have great
reactions!] can be very different
from that outlined in the 'Highway Code'. Close monitoring during this
period would make sure students complied with any restrictions that had been
imposed... and give a 'warning' about any potential problems. It's not easy to claim
the status of a 'good' driver if your fellow road users have clearly stated
otherwise... and
it's not easy to impress your friends if you've been
banned from driving them anywhere.
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In order to counteract the usual peer
pressure... to impress their friends by driving fast and taking risks... it's
necessary to clearly establish an alternative measure of competence: i.e. 'Good'
driving means... having the ability to 'Interact' with their fellow road users in a way which is
consistently... 'Safe: Considerate: and Courteous'.
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| Employers.
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[Active Pressure] Employers could ask to see an employee's File... if their job involved
any driving. If a driver was using a company vehicle... the employer may be
the first to see any 'Reports' that came through. Either way employers
would be expected to take any measures necessary to ensure their employees
attained acceptable standards while out on their company's business. At the
same time... employers may need to review their own practices... because it may turn
out that the root cause of the problem is one of their own making. It's
no good an employer telling its staff not to speed... but, at the same time
handing out unrealistic delivery times, or targets.
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Insurance companies might be entitled to see the points totals of all employees within a company... to
make a more accurate assessment of the risks... and set premiums
accordingly. Courts may also ask for similar Information to determine
whether a company was primarily to blame for problems caused by its employees...
or if they knew about an individual driver who had been driving dangerously... and
what action they had taken to try and change the situation. [For whatever reason, drivers of company vehicles do have a higher rate of
accidents than those who are driving their own private cars.]
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Re-training.
There are various schemes where employers can send their
drivers for a re-assessment... or to rectify specific problems. Click
Here, to see an example of the kind of programmes which are
available. This kind of system would work better with a system like
the Road Supervisors scheme because employers would have a better source
of pre-course Information... and post-course Information to help monitor the
level of improvement.
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How would employees react... in this kind of situation? for instance, a
driver who perpetually uses his truck to tailgate and intimidate others... being
called in to see the boss, yet again, and having to explain why they keep
driving so close to other vehicles... being asked to justify an indefensible
practice. The solution would be a simple one and remain in the hands of the
driver... just back off! that is all they would need to do.
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| Various schemes...
whereby Trucks,
or commercial vehicles might display a sticker saying... something like...
'How's my driving'... followed by a toll free
number to ring with any complaints... have already been tried... and research
has shown that accident rates can be reduced by about 20%. Of course,
this might seem a little unfair to those drivers participating... they can
be reported by anyone... but everyone else just carries on as normal.
An official system would mean everyone was subject to the same rules and
level of scrutiny. [For an example see... 1800-How's-my-Driving?]
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| Potential Employers.
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[Passive Pressure] means a company would not have to actually do
anything... the pressure is caused by the situation. When a person
wants a particular job, [which involves driving] however well the initial interview might have
gone... they still have little confidence in getting it due to the Reports in
their driver's File... which they know the company will ask to see at some
stage. [USA... system now available: see... References
- etc.]
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The time might arrive... where anyone expecting to drive on behalf of a company would have
to show a fairly good record over an extended period... this prospect alone
might encourage some not to let their record become to bad.
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| Insurance Companies.
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[Financial Pressure] Insurance companies
should be able to ask a driver for their
File...
this would give them more Information on which to assess any risk... and allow
them to adjust their premiums accordingly. A driver could always refuse to
show it... but an Insurance company would be equally entitled to refuse any
insurance cover. If they knew a policy holder's driving licence number they
could check to see how many points was on the licence at present... or at any time
in the past. If the points had always been low they might be quite happy
to issue a policy without seeing the File. An Insurance company could
easily have the licence details of every insured driver and monitor their points
on a continuous basis. [UK. For those who already consider themselves to be
low-risk drivers... especially if you have 4 years No Claims Bonus... try
getting a quote online from
Privilege
Insurance.]
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| In the event of an
accident...
an Insurance company might want to review a driver's File to see if the
accident was due to a pattern of bad driving... rather than a one off,
genuine mistake. If the accident was due to a bad habit they might
ask the driver to undergo some driving instruction so the problem was not
repeated. The successful completion of a course might be made a
condition of the Insurance company supplying cover in the future... or not
increasing premiums. One bad accident can cost a company millions... so
a few hundred invested at this stage could prove to be a very worthwhile
investment.
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| Review Panels.
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[Enforcement and Education] Drivers could be asked to attend a Review Panel at any time once past
the 50 point mark, [or 25 points for a Probationary licence] or would
definitely be asked to if they reached 75 points, [35 points for a Probationary
licence.] Drivers would
have to give an account of their driving... explain why they had not responded
positively to the Reports and Educational Inserts which they had been sent... outline their plans for reversing the
problem... and demonstrate
the 'Right' attitude: [that being... a willingness to change and improve their
driving habits.] They would also need to show that they were taking their responsibilities seriously
by producing their own personal copy of their File... and show what comments they
had written concerning each Report. Drivers could find themselves... demoted to a lower class of
licence: have restrictions placed on them: or ordered to complete a 'course' targeted at their particular problems.
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In the case of another 'serious incident'... or a driver gaining another 5
points...
they would be called back for a further review. Having to explain
themselves to a Review Panel: [which would have examined their File very
carefully] attend courses: or being demoted: are not things any
driver would look forward to, but once the process had begun, the only way out
would be to make the necessary changes and improvements.
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| Only when the
Review Panel... was satisfied that the necessary changes had been successfully completed would a
File be 'De-activated'. Failure to comply... would inevitably lead to the
loss of their driving licence.
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| Police.
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[Enforcement] This, potentially, offers great benefits to the Police. Any
significant reduction in Accidents and Traffic offences means the Police could
target their resources to other areas. They would be receiving additional
'Real-Time' Information from Senior Road Supervisors out on the road... which means they
could intercept many serious offenders that they would otherwise miss.
How would these 'offenders' react to this situation? knowing any driver or any
pedestrian could be a Senior Road Supervisor... who had just reported their
actions to the local Police... it would certainly make driving home drunk a lot
more risky!
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Additional Information. They could also receive Information from all Road
Supervisors... under the category of
'Accidents:
Incidents: and Suspicious Vehicles'. Reports 'On File' but not passed on to the registered
owner... about
activities that might be illegal, in some way. This Information could help identify
criminals... or possibly provide an important
break when investigating a crime.
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| Financial Penalties.
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[Punishment] There are already some Financial Penalties for poor
driving... if
you have accidents your Insurance premiums will increase. You can get...
parking tickets: speeding fines: or end up in Court for any number of offences that
could result in a financial penalty. This does work to a certain extent...
no one likes having to pay fines. Often drivers believe they were just unlucky
[and
indeed they may have been] and are not that likely to be stopped again... in which
case their behaviour would probably not change.
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This system would aim... to put a loading on
Insurance premiums: [or we might say, provide additional Information to
Insurance companies so that they can make a more accurate assessment... penalizing
'high-risk' drivers.] Once a driver reached 25 points... a 25% loading might be
added: [their fellow drivers would have deemed them to be a risk] each additional 5
points might attract a further 5%: [so 100 points would attract a 100% loading.] Those being demoted to a Probationary licence would attract even
higher premiums: [some kind of agreement between any Government and Insurance companies
might be required... or perhaps they would just let market forces run their
course?]
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This would also be... a great incentive to improve ones driving... as Road
Supervisors' points would only last for one year... it would be possible to get rid of a heavy 'loading' within that time frame.
[Though points originating from the Police
or Courts could still last three years... or whatever? Countries may vary.]
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| Courts.
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[Punishment] Courts could operate in exactly the same way as they do at
present...
mainly concerning themselves with establishing guilt or innocence in connection
with a particular offence... which would still attract 'Fines, Points,
Driving
bans and Imprisonment'. A Court could refer an offender to their local
Review Panel
for 'further training' in addition to any other punishments they might hand
out... a lost licence would not be automatically returned... it would have to be earned. Courts would have a driver's
File
available, [which may contain little or no Information... but may also contain
many reports covering an extended period of time] which Prosecutors and
Defenders could make reference to.
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| No one likes having to appear in
Court... the
prospect would be that much more daunting knowing that the Court was in
possession of dozens of Reports which had been submitted about dangerous
driving, aggressive behaviour and the like. The contents of a driver's File might then be taken into account when deciding on an appropriate
punishment.
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| In addition... a 100 point system would offer far more
flexibility than a 12 point system: [countries vary] and could easily be administered in the age
of the computer.
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Prison.
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[Punishment] If you can significantly reduce the number of deaths on the
roads...
then you will also reduce the number of drivers who are responsible for killing
people... which in turn, should mean less people in prison. There will
always be some who... will commit crimes: are mentally unstable: get drunk:
behave
in a reckless and totally irresponsible way... and even try to outrun the
Law. No system can cure every problem...
and for these individuals maybe a spell of imprisonment is inevitable. Click Here
to read a newspaper article which demonstrates exactly what we are
talking about.
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| Ultimately...
however justified a
custodial sentence might be for an individual... large
numbers of people being sent to Prison is not a 'Measure of Success'... it is a 'Measure of Failure'... just as a high number of Road Deaths is!
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