Abstract
This paper estimates the effects of temporary driver's license suspensions on driving behavior. A little known rule in the German traffic penalty catalogue maintains that drivers who commit a series of speeding transgressions within 365 days should have their license suspended for one month. My regression discontinuity design exploits the quasi-random assignment of license suspensions caused by the 365-days cut-off and shows that 1-month license suspensions lower the probability of recidivating within a year by 20 percent. This is largely a specific deterrence effect driven by the punishment itself and not by incapacitation, information asymmetries, or the threat of stiffer future penalties.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 497-528 |
Number of pages | 32 |
Journal | Journal of Law and Economics |
Volume | 60 |
Issue number | 3 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 30 Aug 2017 |
Keywords
- crime
- speeding
- deterrence
- regression discontinuity