Comparing the impact of cash fines and point penalties on road deaths

What is it about?

Around 1.25 million people die each year in road accidents worldwide. Over 90% of these deaths occur in countries with low mean income. In 2015, Mexico City introduced new road safety rules to make the roads safer. These rules lowered speed limits and increased cash fines for people breaking traffic rules. However, in 2019, the cash fines were replaced by a point penalty system. Under this system, people who break the rules often must attend road safety courses and participate in community service. This study looked at how these changes in 2015 and 2019 affected road accidents and their consequences.

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Photo by Evgeny Tchebotarev on Unsplash

Photo by Evgeny Tchebotarev on Unsplash

Why is it important?

In Mexico City, a large number of deaths are related to road accidents. Before 2022, there were no official rules for road safety in Mexico, so each city had its own way of managing traffic. The researchers found that the 2015 rule change led to a decrease in deaths by 0.2%. On the other hand, the 2019 rule change led to an increase in crashes causing injuries by 1.5% and deaths by 2.7%. The changes made by Mexico City to its road safety policy were a big step towards uniform traffic laws across the city. KEY TAKEAWAY: The introduction of cash fines for violating traffic rules in Mexico City reduced the number of deaths from road accidents. But the number of road accidents, related injuries, and deaths increased when a point penalty system replaced the cash fines. This research relates to the following Sustainable Development Goals: •SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being •SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities •SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure •SDG 16: Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions