Details:

Alternative Title:
Review of New Jersey point system.
Creators:
Carnegie, Jon A. ; Ozbay, Kaan ; Mudigonda, Sandeep
Carnegie, Jon A. ; Ozbay, Kaan ; Mudigonda, Sandeep Less -
Corporate Creators:
Alan M. Voorhees Transportation Center
Corporate Contributors:
United States. Federal Highway Administration
Subject/TRT Terms:
[+]
Driver Licenses Driver Monitoring Evaluation Negligence Point Demerit Systems Recidivism Traffic Violations
Publication/ Report Number:
FHWA NJ-2013-004
Resource Type:
Tech Report
Geographical Coverage:
New Jersey
Corporate Publisher:
New Jersey. Dept. of Transportation. Bureau of Research
Abstract:
The purpose of this study is to investigate the comparative effectiveness of point-based versus incident-based

negligent driver monitoring systems and to explore how certain changes to the existing point-based system used in

New Jersey might improve the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission’s (MVC) ability to properly identify and

address problem drivers. This study seeks to address an existing gap in the literature and advance the current

state of knowledge regarding the effectiveness of point- versus incident-based monitoring systems. The results of

this study further confirm the results of previous studies that the interventions used by MVC to correct problem

driver behavior are effective. As part of this study, the research team used survival analysis to show that the

average time to next offense for driver’s subjected to MVC interventions increases significantly for all three

interventions used. Three primary alternatives to MVC’s current point-based system of driver monitoring and

control were investigated. Alternative #1 retained MVC’s existing point-based monitoring system but limited or

eliminated the practice of plea bargaining motor vehicle offenses. Alternative #2 replaced MVC’s current point-based system of monitoring with an incident-based system; and Alternative #3 supplemented the existing point-based system with an incident-based habitual offender license suspension program. Each of the alternatives

results in increased system outputs in the form of advisory notices, re-education class enrollments and license

suspensions. These additional interventions result in improved safety outcomes in the form of longer periods of

safe driving after intervention and fewer future violations and crashes among the drivers in each cohort.

Across the alternatives, improvement in time until next offense is greatest among male drivers. This may be in part

due to the fact that male drivers have higher overall rates of violation than female drivers. The best results in terms

of time until next offense appear to derive from Alternative #1 Case 1 which presents the highest level of

improvement across virtually every age and gender cohort. Interestingly, Alternative #2 which by far subjects the

greatest number of drivers to interventions of all types presents improvements slightly below Alternative #1 Case 1.

Alternative #3 does appear to result in longer times to next offense among habitual offenders but the times

between offenses remain very short. This result highlights the fact that “hard core” habitual offenders are likely to

pose significant safety concerns even though more drivers are subject to license suspension, the most strict of the

interventions used by MVC. From the analysis it seems clear that there are changes that MVC can make to

enhance the agency’s ability to address negligent driving behavior and thereby improve highway safety. However,

at least two of alternatives explored in this study, Alternatives #1 and #2 present significant and perhaps

insurmountable political, systems and operational challenges. Alternative #3 presents the most promise but it too

will require careful consideration of the costs and benefits of any change.


Format:
PDF
Collection(s):
US Transportation Collection
Main Document Checksum:
[+]
urn:sha256:3a185f08756960f5d97803341cf4b1fabc6c423df1747f85dbde10a3067a4ce9
Download URL:
https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/29326/dot_29326_DS1.pdf
File Type:

Supporting Files

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