What drives compliance? The effect of deterrence and shame emotions on young drivers’ compliance with road laws

Allen, Siobhan; Murphy, Kristina; Bates, Lyndel · 2015 · Crossref

DOI: 10.1080/10439463.2015.1115502

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Summary

This study investigates the factors driving compliance with road laws among young, provisionally licensed drivers, specifically examining the relative influence of formal deterrence (police enforcement) and informal deterrence (parental monitoring). The research is motivated by the high crash risk associated with novice drivers and the reliance on Graduated Driver Licensing (GDL) systems to mitigate this risk. While GDL restrictions are effective, their success depends on driver compliance, which is often low. The authors aim to determine whether internal psychological mechanisms, particularly shame, mediate the relationship between deterrence and compliance, addressing a gap in literature that has predominantly focused on formal sanctions. The researchers collected survey data from 151 young provisionally licensed drivers in Queensland, Australia, between May and August 2013. Participants were aged 17–25, with the majority holding Provisional 2 licenses. The study utilized multiple-item scales to measure formal deterrence (perceived likelihood of police sanction), informal deterrence (perceived likelihood of parental sanction), shame emotions, and compliance with both "entrenched" road rules (e.g., seatbelt use) and "new" rules (e.g., cell phone use). Hierarchical regression analyses were conducted to test three hypotheses: that both deterrence types improve compliance, that informal deterrence has a stronger effect than formal deterrence, and that shame mediates the effect of informal deterrence. The results indicated that informal deterrence, but not formal deterrence, significantly predicted compliance with new road rules. Formal deterrence failed to predict compliance behavior in any model. Crucially, shame emotions mediated the relationship between informal deterrence and compliance; drivers who feared parental sanction felt greater shame, which in turn led to higher compliance. Shame was also a strong direct predictor of compliance with entrenched rules, whereas deterrence measures were not. Additionally, female drivers reported higher levels of shame and initial compliance, though these effects diminished when deterrence and shame variables were included. More experienced Provisional 2 drivers showed lower compliance with new rules compared to Provisional 1 drivers, though this difference vanished when deterrence perceptions were accounted for. The findings suggest that internal psychological mechanisms, specifically shame elicited by significant others, are more critical for young driver compliance than the threat of formal police punishment. The study concludes that informal deterrence is more effective because it invokes shame, a powerful social control mechanism. These results have significant policy implications, suggesting that GDL schemes should incorporate third-party policing practices, such as actively involving parents in monitoring and sanctioning young drivers, rather than relying solely on formal enforcement.

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Topics

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• parental management
• passenger effects