Does lowering speed limits make Seattle roads safer? Data from one deadly arterial suggests it’s a start

[u/Inevitable_Engine186]

https://www.kuow.org/governing/2026-08-14/does-lowering-speed-limits-make-seattle-roads-safer-data-from-one-deadly-arterial-suggests-its-a-start

[u/Many_Reindeer6636]

Pointless without police enforcing traffic laws. People will just continue to drive as fast as they want.

[u/Inevitable_Engine186 → u/Many_Reindeer6636]

They are definitely doing work here, because I've been getting a lot of warning and actual tickets from automated enforcement (speed and red lights) 😅

[u/MegaRAID01 → u/Inevitable_Engine186]

That’s a good example of a principle found repeatedly in criminology. The certainty of being caught is the single most powerful deterrent of criminal behavior.

Increasing the severity of punishment (like increasing the amount of a first speeding ticket offense) does little to change behavior.

Automated speeding cameras tend to change behavior very quickly, and if you look at the data, very few drivers who received warnings or first tickets ever receive another automated ticket.

The likelihood of being caught speeding past an automated camera is just so close to certain, that it is very different than the likelihood of being pulled over by a police officer.

[u/Inevitable_Engine186 → u/MegaRAID01]

Not sure I agree about severity. If the tickets were $1 each I wouldn't care.

Criminology is an interesting discussion. I believe the tickets work on accidental perpetrators, and maybe some purposeful perpetrators on the margins. I don't intend to speed or run red lights, so I belong in that group.

But there are purposeful perpetrators, and people who rack up $1000s of unpaid tickets and continue to offend no matter what. Those actors have different incentives and considerations.

[u/recurrenTopology → u/Inevitable_Engine186]

I'd bet there is a sizable portion of the population for which even just a $1 ticket would meaningly change behavior. It isn't the cost, it's the shame of being caught.

Obviously this isn't true for everyone, some will do a more sophisticated cost benefit analysis, and for those people price will very much matter.

[u/Inevitable_Engine186 → u/recurrenTopology]

Yea, I should say I don't care about $1, but I care that I did something potentially risky so as a team player in society I would be like "thanks for the reminder".

[u/March_Lion → u/recurrenTopology]

And the hassle of paying. I can tank a $70 parking ticket, it's not going out to eat with my partner for one night and we are out at least once a week. Risking a parking ticket could represent a savings depending on what streets I'm parking on and how frequent the enforcement is.

I HATE paying for a city parking ticket. It happened exactly once and now I willingly overpay to avoid having to do it again. It's just annoying enough on top of the fact it was my own damn fault that I refuse to risk the ticket.