A procedurally just flyer reduces subsequent speeding offences: evidence from the Queensland Speeding Engagement Trial (QSET)

Objectives

The purpose of this study was to test the impact of a procedural justice letter intervention that was delivered with traffic infringement notices on subsequent speeding offences.

Method

This study used the Queensland Speeding Engagement Trial (QSET) to experimentally test the impact of using the principles of procedural justice within a police issued letter, on individuals detected speeding by cameras. Participants in the control condition (n = 7946) received a speeding infringement notice as per normal while those in the experimental condition (n = 8209) received the procedurally just letter in addition to the speeding infringement notice. Administrative data for the 12 months following the intervention was used to identify if participants engaged in subsequent speeding and other traffic offending behaviours.

Results

The results indicated that the intervention reduced subsequent speeding offences for drivers 25 years and older in the experimental condition when compared with the control condition. No differences were found for other types of traffic offences.

Conclusions

Thus, this study demonstrates that the effects of procedural justice (a) can be achieved through purposeful written communication and (b) reduce subsequent offending behaviour.