设计专业人士史蒂夫·马丁乌佐近日撰文批评澳大利亚维多利亚州的道路安全政策框架过度规范化，指出通过增加标志、规则和自动化技术来微观控制驾驶行为，反而削弱了驾驶员的判断力和主动性[1]。马丁乌佐是Cobalt Design的管理合伙人，他在评论中强调，这种过度工程化方法导致道路安全改善停滞不前[1]。
维多利亚州在1970年代取得了显著进展，道路死亡率从超过30人/10万人降至1980年的不到17人/10万人，年均改善超过13人/10万人[1]。然而，过去十年该州的道路安全几乎没有进一步改善[1]。马丁乌佐援引心理学概念"Peltzman效应"解释这一现象，认为过度的工程化导致驾驶员心理脱离[1]。交通工程研究还表明，当多个管制标志集中出现时，驾驶员的理解能力会呈指数下降[1]。
马丁乌佐以德国为对比案例，指出该国道路死亡率约为3.4人/10万人，远低于澳大利亚的4.8人/10万人[1]。他主张澳洲应通过重建驾驶员判断力和问责制来实现道路安全的下一步提升[1]。
A design professional has criticized Victoria's road safety framework for relying too heavily on signage, rules, and automated technology to control driver behavior, arguing that this approach undermines driver judgment and accountability rather than improving outcomes.[1] Steve Martinuzzo, managing partner at Cobalt Design, contends that the micromanagement of driving through regulatory measures has contributed to a stalling of safety improvements over the past decade.[1]
Victoria demonstrated significant progress in earlier decades, with road fatality rates declining from over 30 per 100,000 people in 1970 to below 17 per 100,000 by 1980—a reduction exceeding 13 deaths per 100,000 annually.[1] However, road safety has seen minimal improvement in the last ten years.[1] Martinuzzo points to Germany's road fatality rate of approximately 3.4 per 100,000 people compared to Australia's 4.8 per 100,000, attributing Germany's superior performance to a more rigorous driver qualification and skill-based system.[1]
The article invokes the psychological concept of the Peltzman Effect to explain how over-engineered environments cause drivers to mentally disengage from the driving task.[1] Research in traffic engineering further demonstrates that driver comprehension decreases exponentially when multiple regulatory signs are clustered together.[1] Rather than continuing to add controls, Martinuzzo advocates for rebuilding driver judgment and accountability as the path to achieving the next phase of road safety gains.[1]