Journal article
How visibility and alerts shape speed enforcement legitimacy
Transportation Research. Part F: Traffic Psychology and Behaviour, Vol.119, pp.1-10
2026
Abstract
Speeding remains a leading contributor to road fatalities in Australia, with enforcement technologies such as speed cameras playing a central role in prevention efforts. This study investigated how perceptions of legitimacy—based on Tankebe's multidimensional model—differ between overt and covert speed cameras, and how these perceptions are influenced by the use of enforcement notification technologies (e.g., Google Maps, Waze). A cross-sectional survey of 1168 Australian drivers measured speeding behaviour, use of enforcement-avoidance technology, and perceptions of legitimacy across five constructs: lawfulness, obligation to obey, procedural fairness, distributive fairness, and camera effectiveness. Findings showed that overt cameras were perceived as significantly more fair and effective than covert ones. Technology users reported more frequent speeding, particularly at high levels, greater awareness of covert cameras and significantly lower perceptions on a number of the legitimacy variables than those that do not use the technology. Across both low- and high-level speeding models, the legitimacy constructs of lawfulness and obligation to obey the law were the strongest predictors of reduced speeding, while perceptions tied to specific enforcement methods were not significant. These results highlight the importance of fostering broad legal legitimacy. As enforcement systems increasingly intersect with digital technologies, maintaining public trust and reinforcing moral alignment with traffic laws may be key to supporting long-term compliance and reducing road risk.
Details
- Title
- How visibility and alerts shape speed enforcement legitimacy
- Authors
- Verity Truelove (Corresponding Author) - University of the Sunshine CoastOscar Oviedo-Trespalacios - Delft University of Technology
- Publication details
- Transportation Research. Part F: Traffic Psychology and Behaviour, Vol.119, pp.1-10
- Publisher
- Elsevier Ltd
- Date published
- 2026
- DOI
- 10.1016/j.trf.2026.103592
- ISSN
- 1873-5517
- Copyright note
- © 2026 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an open access article under the CC BY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
- Data Availability
- The authors do not have permission to share data.
- Grant note
- This work was funded with assistance from the ACT Government under the ACT Road Safety Fund Community Grant Program. Additional funding for first author writing of the manuscript was provided by the MAIC/University of the Sunshine Coast Road Safety Research Collaboration Grant.
- Organisation Unit
- Road Safety Research Collaboration; School of Law and Society
- Language
- English
- Record Identifier
- 991222728602621
- Output Type
- Journal article
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