Effects of an Advisory Warning and a Cash Bonus on Speeding Behavior

Abstract

Speeding results in significant human and financial costs annually. This field experiment tested the effectiveness of a monetary incentive and an in-vehicle alert system for curtailing speeding. Fifty participants completed a 3 (incentive group) X 4 (week) mixed factorial design. Twenty were in the incentive group, 20 were in the no-incentive group, and 10 were in a control group. Each driver operated an instrumented vehicle for four weeks. The incentive was offered during Weeks 2 and 3; the alert system was active during either Week 2 or 3. Primary measures included time spent driving at or below, 4 mph, 8 mph, or 9 mph over speed limits. Results indicated a robust effect for the incentive and a limited effect for the advisory system. Interventions tested have clear implications for reducing the risk and severity of traffic crashes using a combination of automation and principles of behavior theory.