I See You Watching Me Watching You: The Influence of Social Media and Navigation Applications on Police and Camera-Based Deterrence

Road crash fatalities that are caused by road rule violations are on the rise in numerous jurisdictions worldwide, despite recent efforts to prevent engagement in these behaviours via increased enforcement measures. In addition to traditional police enforcement and speed cameras, mobile phone and seatbelt detection cameras have also been introduced in various regions. However, technology also exists that can be used by drivers to notify them of traffic enforcement locations (e.g., social media pages and navigation applications such as Google Maps and Waze). This technology has the potential to circumvent the deterrent effect of traffic enforcement measures. As such, this study involved a cross-sectional survey to examine differences in offending behaviour, perceptions of being caught by police and by cameras, and experience with punishment avoidance between users and non-users of (1) social media pages and (2) navigation applications. The behaviours of focus included speeding, phone use while driving, and not wearing a seatbelt, as these behaviours are all captured by traffic cameras. A total of 2,237 drivers completed the survey with ages ranging between 17 and 90 years ( M age = 53.18, SD = 17.52). It was found that drivers who used both types of technology were significantly more likely to speed and use a handheld phone while driving, as well as experience punishment avoidance, compared to non-users. There were no significant differences in seatbelt use between users and non-users of the technology. Meanwhile, there were no significant differences for all behaviours in the perceptions of the certainty of being caught between users and non-users of the technology. These findings have system-wide implications that should be considered, including for enforcement, technology developers, policymakers, and drivers. Ultimately, the costs and benefits of allowing these features must be weighed, and innovative solutions (e.g., dynamic enforcement strategies) should be considered.