Alternatively (and if we’re not quite ready to give up on
our usual performance indicators just yet) we would
suggest stating the numbers caught alongside the
numbers who did not need our attention, so providing
a context or indication of the proportion of drivers who
are offending and who, by implication, are ‘the problem’
for the rest of ‘us’. As we suggest in relation to reporting
of offending by the public (p125), a useful story here is
the growing number of road users who support roads
policing objectives to the extent that they are prepared
to become part of the enforcement effort and report
dangerous driving.
The sense that the majority oppose mobile use can
also be promoted by offering drivers the chance to
demonstrate their ‘in-group’ status. Later in this volume
(p96) we give examples of ‘takeaway’ items, such as in-
car stickers, air fresheners or bumper stickers showing
support for action against mobile phone use by drivers.
The more of these endorsements ‘out there’, the more
the sense is created that the social norm favours non-
use. Projects that encourage reporting by members of
the public could consider their own merchandise (such
as bumper stickers) that allow drivers to promote the
fact that they have a dash cam and are prepared to
use it to support roads policing objectives. Engaging
with large numbers of individuals and offering this form
of ‘takeaway’ item increases the opportunity for this
social recognition where the items are visible on the
road. It also, of course, increases the perceived risk of
detection for offenders, making every car a potential
‘cop car’.
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CASE STUDY EXAMPLE
As we’ve explored in more detail elsewhere, third
party reporting projects such as Operation Snap
(see p126) are opportunities to make it clear that
the driving public endorses roads policing – to
the extent that it is willing to take part in that
policing itself.
Many police forces now provide the ability for
individuals to report offending behaviour that they
capture (via dash cam, helmet cam, or mobile
phone camera) while using the roads. These
online reporting capabilities have been developed
in response to public demand, and should be
publicised or discussed in these terms, rather than
as a tool for ‘catching people out’ or ‘doing the
work of the police’.