An indirect approach to estimate the drivers’ willingness to pay for speeding violations

Document Type : Original Research

Authors
A. Yarahmadi 1
M. Fallah Zavareh 2
M. Zabihi Tari 3
1 Kharazmi University, Department of Civil Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Tehran, Iran
2 Assistant Professor, Kharazmi University, Department of Civil Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Tehran, Iran
3 Assistant Professor, Islamic Azad University, East Tehran branch, Department of Civil Engineering, Tehran, Iran
Abstract
Speeding contributes to increased frequency and severity of road crashes. Strengthening deterrence of speeding requires imposing effective penalties for non-compliance with speed limits, as well as effective enforcement of the legislation. Yet, different monetary and non-monetary penalties have been proposed for offensive drivers. The literature, however, lacks evidence on relative deterrence of existing penalties and the way the drivers respond to new forms of penalty systems. This study is among the first that investigated relative deterrence of different speeding penalties including “monetary fines”, “demerit point”, “car detention”, and “social deprivation”. Questionnaire was designed based on choice experiment method (CEM) with considerations of balance and orthogonality. Convenience sampling method was used to collect data in campuses of Kharazmi University in Karaj, College of Engineering in University of Tehran, and East Tehran Branch of Islamic Azad University, which all are among the largest university campuses in the country. A total of 550 questionnaires including 2004 choices were conducted (response rate: 91.1%). Using an indirect approach, we conducted a mixed logit (ML) model to estimate the drivers’ willingness to pay (WTP) for non-monetary speeding penalties. Results indicated that “social deprivation” would offer stronger deterrence compared to other penalties. Deterrence effect of “monetary fines” and “demerit point” increases with increase in drivers’ age. Findings emphasized that further development of non-monetary penalties in the future would increase deterrence of speeding violations.

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Modares Civil Engineering journal
Volume 20, Issue 2
May and June 2020
Pages 85-97