Abstract
The efficacy of road safety countermeasures to deter motorists from engaging in illegal behaviours is extremely important when considering the personal and economic impact of road accidents on the community. In many countries, deterrence theory has remained a cornerstone of criminology and criminal justice policy, particularly within the field of road safety, as policy makers and enforcement agencies attempt to increase perceptions regarding the certainty, severity and swiftness of sanctions for those who engage in illegal motoring behaviours. Using the Australian experience (particularly the tremendous amount of research into drink driving), the current paper reviews the principles underpinning deterrence theory, the utilisation of the approach within some contemporary road safety initiatives (e.g., random breath testing) as well as highlighting some methods to enhance a deterrent effect. The paper also provides direction for future deterrence-based research, in particular, considering the powerful impact of non-legal sanctions, punishment avoidance as well as creating culturally embedded behavioural change.
Publication details
- DOI
- 10.18295/2075-0528.1235
- Journal
- Sultan Qaboos University Medical Journal, 11(1), 29-37
- Publisher
- Sultan Qaboos University
- Open access
- Gold open access
- License
- CC BY-ND 4.0
Cite this article
APA 7
Davey, J. D., & Freeman, J. E. (2025). Improving Road Safety through Deterrence-Based Initiatives: A review of research. Sultan Qaboos University Medical Journal, 11(1), 29-37. https://doi.org/10.18295/2075-0528.1235
MLA 9
Davey, Jeremy D., and James E. Freeman. "Improving Road Safety through Deterrence-Based Initiatives: A review of research." Sultan Qaboos University Medical Journal, vol. 11, no. 1, 2025, pp. 29-37. https://doi.org/10.18295/2075-0528.1235.
Chicago (author–date)
Davey, Jeremy D., and James E. Freeman. 2025. "Improving Road Safety through Deterrence-Based Initiatives: A review of research." Sultan Qaboos University Medical Journal 11 (1): 29-37. https://doi.org/10.18295/2075-0528.1235.
Harvard
Davey, J. D. and Freeman, J. E. (2025) 'Improving Road Safety through Deterrence-Based Initiatives: A review of research', Sultan Qaboos University Medical Journal, 11(1), pp. 29-37. doi:10.18295/2075-0528.1235.
Vancouver
Davey JD, Freeman JE. Improving Road Safety through Deterrence-Based Initiatives: A review of research. Sultan Qaboos University Medical Journal. 2025;11(1):29-37. doi:10.18295/2075-0528.1235
IEEE
J. D. Davey, and J. E. Freeman, "Improving Road Safety through Deterrence-Based Initiatives: A review of research," Sultan Qaboos University Medical Journal, vol. 11, no. 1, pp. 29-37, 2025, doi: 10.18295/2075-0528.1235.