Points or Prison? The Effects of Different Sanctions on Driving Behavior

Silvia Bruzzone (), Stefano Castriota () and Mirco Tonin
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Silvia Bruzzone: Istituto Nazionale di Statistica, Direzione centrale per le statistiche sociali e il censimento della popolazione
Stefano Castriota: Department of Political Sciences, University of Pisa

No BEMPS66, BEMPS - Bozen Economics & Management Paper Series from Faculty of Economics and Management at the Free University of Bozen

Abstract: This paper compares the effects of two reforms implemented in Italy in 2003 and 2016 – respectively the Penalty Points System (PPS) and the Road Homicide (RH) – aimed at reducing road accidents and mortality. In terms of the two main parameters characterizing enforcement – probability and intensity of the penalty – the two policies are opposite. In fact, with the PPS it is very easy to lose points but the maximum penalty – that is, temporary withdrawal of the license – is not dramatic. The RH, instead, introduced heavy penalties in the rare event of dead and injured people. We find a stronger decrease of dead and injured people with the PPS than with the RH. We compare the costs and benefits of the two policies and conclude that, in this context, strong penalties like incarceration are not socially beneficial.

Keywords: Road accidents; penalty points system; road homicide; crime; punishment (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: D91 K14 K42 R41 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: [37 pages]
Date: 2019-12
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-law, nep-tre and nep-ure
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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Related works:
Journal Article: POINTS OR PRISON? THE EFFECTS OF DIFFERENT SANCTIONS ON DRIVING BEHAVIOR (2021)
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