Risky Driving and Enforcement Legitimacy on Queensland Beaches: A Study of Offending and Legitimacy

Abstract

This study investigated the relationship between self-reported offending behaviours of drivers and their views of enforcement legitimacy on Queensland beaches. Despite the growing interest in beach driving offending due to many serious injury and fatal crashes, limited research contrasts self-reported offending in beach versus road environments. This study builds on previous research on beach offending by examining drivers’ views of legitimacy regarding rangers and police and their self-reported offending in both driving environments. Two main objectives guided this research: firstly, to examine and contrast self-reported offending of drivers in beach and road locations; secondly, to determine if lower views of legitimacy in police or rangers correlated with higher offending rates in either environment. In total, 702 participants completed the survey and provided demographic data, driving experience, compliance with road rules, and views of legitimacy regarding enforcement agencies. Key findings identified statistically significant differences in behaviour by location. Higher rates of offending on roads compared to beaches were reported for speeding and drink driving while higher rates of offending on beaches were reported for seatbelts (i.e., non-use). Chi-square analysis revealed a significant relationship between views of legitimacy and offending behaviour, suggesting that higher views of the legitimacy of enforcement agencies is significantly associated with lower offending rates. These findings underscore the potential impact of enhancing views of legitimacy through community policing strategies to improve compliance with the road rules and overall road safety on beaches. The study highlights the need for targeted enforcement and education efforts to address unique challenges related to driving in beach environments.