Criminology

Since decades, information technology has played a significant role in providing enormous facilities and solutions to the human race that has resulted in huge advancements in different parts of the globe. However, along with advancements, there have been many drawbacks and misuse of scientific inventions. Road accidents are one of the major concerns of todays traffic that has been an outcome of reckless drivers and speedy driving on the streets. In response, police officials are putting enormous efforts to ensure proper implementation of road speed limits however, every year, reports indicate huge number of accidents and deaths due to high speeds. In midst of such a problem, mobile roadside speedometers have become one of the most effective technological tools that is allowing traffic police officials to monitor road traffic, as well as catch reckless drivers instantly. However, as it is a technology, it is very imperative that experts should carry out researches to analyze its effectiveness in monitoring road traffic. The research in this proposal is one of such efforts that will be focusing on the analysis of mobile roadside speedometers, especially in the United States while carrying out research based on secondary and primary research methodologies. Brief literature review has indicated that mobile roadside speedometers have resulted in efficient results, inclining a rapid reduction in the number of speedy cars on the roads. In specific, it is objective of the proposed research that outcomes of this research will enable a better and effective utilization of mobile roadside speedometers in the road traffic in the future.

Introduction
Since decades, a huge number of reports have indicated thousands of road accidents due to speeding and reckless driving in different parts of the globe. Although law enforcement agencies play a crucial role in monitoring traffic, and putting efforts to avoid any road accident, however, it is an observation that drivers have continued to cross speed limits until today resulting in adverse consequences in the traffic. In response, technology has once again provided efficient solution to monitor traffic while ensuring proper implementation of speed limits on the roads through various equipments, and mobile roadside speedometer is one of the most effective tools of information technology that is now playing a significant role in safety of drivers in the traffic. However, various experts consider traffic police as better options to ensure traffic safety as compared to technological equipments. For this reason, the researcher will be putting efforts to carry out research on the utilization and effectiveness of mobile roadside speedometers on the road traffic. In addition, in order to avoid ambiguity, the proposed research will focus specifically on the effectiveness of mobile roadside speedometers in the United States that will enable the researcher to acquire practical and concrete data in an efficient and organized manner.

Research Statement
For such purpose, the researcher will focus on the following research statement as significant foundation for the proposed study

To identify and analyze the effects of mobile roadside speedometer or speed monitoring display on traffic

Literature Review
A study conducted in 1993 in Santana Barbara, California looked at mobile roadside speedometers as a means of controlling the traffic speeds in urban settings. Like any other mobile roadside speedometer, the calculation of speed of the cars took place with the use of non-detectable radars (Vaa  Ragnoy, 1996). The overall data clearly indicated that these mobile roadside speedometers were useful enough since they were able to bring a reduction in speeds of cars of almost 10 percent for vehicles alongside the speedometers and reduction of about 7 percent at short distances. Moreover, before the deployment of this mobile roadside speedometer, the percentage of drivers who exceeded the speed limit of that road was around 15-20 percent. However, with the deployment this percentage fell down to just 2 percent on an average. Interestingly, the study also ended up concluding that the effect on mobile roadside speedometers is greater in school zones since people are more concerned and careful about their speeds. This study also recommended minimal police enforcement with the speedometer since it appeared crucial in increasing the effectiveness of deployed speedometer (Vaa  Ragnoy, 1996).

Another study conducted in 1996 in Vestfold, Norway conducted two parallel experiments to study the effect of various other factors with the deployment of speedometer. The study found out that these speedometers were highly effective if they contained the signature of police on them. On the other hand, mobile roadside speedometers were unable to hit the bulls-eye that effectively in the absence of this signature. Moreover, the decay of their effectiveness was also faster than the other ones (National Research Council (U.S.), Transportation Research Board.,  Committee for Guidance on Setting and Enforcing Speed Limits, 1998).

Another study, which looked at the effectiveness of mobile roadside speedometers, also concluded that they are highly effective but this time these results were much higher than the others were. Conducted in 1990, at places like Maryland, Arizona and District of Columbia found out that with there deployment the percentages of people driving with more than 10mps of the maximum speed declined by around 70 percent, 95 percent and 82 percent respectively. This study also proposed the same point of deployment of law enforcement agencies along with speedometer in order to increase their effectiveness (Casey, Lund  Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, 1991).

Another research conducted in Egypt with almost similar motives and research objectives did not show very much different results. That study conducted in 1998 also ended up concluding that mobile roadside speedometers are effective to force drivers to bring slowdown in their speeds (Dewar, Olson,  Alexander, 2002). However, the percentages were significantly lower than what researchers found out in the United States. Despite the fact that it is difficult to comprehend the reason behind this sharp decline but initial analysis predicts illiteracy as the major reason. Moreover, this study also highlight that the size of the boards, intensity and catchiness of the colours of the boards and deployed police force had positive impact on the success of the deployed mobile roadside speedometers (Dewar, Olson,  Alexander, 2002).

Without any doubts, there is huge room for research in this area. This is not only because that there are loopholes and gaps in the past researches but also because of the fact that all these studies are from the 1990s. Not much fresh material is available on the same topic. Quite understandably, one can say that new researches would provide us with new dimensions to see this matter. Specifically, these studies fail to accommodate the regional variations in attitudes of drivers regarding these mobile roadside speedometers. For example, there is a potential to say that these same mobile roadside speedometers would not be as effective in regions, districts and countries where the situation of law and order is in turmoil. However, only some reliable, careful and authentic research and provide serious and well-needed support to validate and further explore this argument.

Another area of potential research could be the difference of attitudes in drivers regarding these speedometers with variations in ages and their backgrounds (Bloch, 1998). Traditionally, many people assume on their own that blacks are more likely to be found speeding and breaking traffic laws. Moreover, we also assume that younger people and teenage drivers, since are more enthusiastic and fun loving, therefore, they tend to avoid and disobey traffic rules more frequently. It would be also fascinating to know that to what extent does peer pressure influence these decisions of either following mobile roadside speedometers or not. Therefore, a research study that examines the data of the people who disregard mobile roadside speedometer and find themselves caught, can provide us with healthy information to conclude the seriousness of attitudes towards these speedometers on people from varying backgrounds.

Potential variations in effects of mobile roadside speedometers with variations in time of the day and traffic intensity can also influence the effect of these mobile roadside speedometers. Quite understandably, people do not follow the traffic rules with same devotion and intensity at 4am in the morning, as compared to 4pm in the afternoon (Bloch, 1998). It would be interesting to look that if these roadside speedometers can prove that they can provoke action even at all times of the day. The effects of traffic intensity would also be interesting to note. Even better would be to include the variables like drug consumption and then measure the effects of mobile roadside speedometers as well (Patterson, 2010). Without any doubts, official statistics show that most of the traffic accidents have their causes rooted in drugs and alcohol consumption. If mobile roadside speedometers can prove themselves to be effective even for alcoholic drivers then they this would be a precious finding (Bloch, 1998).

Lastly, it would also be interesting to look at the effects of these speedometers over a longer period. The common assumption is that the effect of any new technology or practice for controlling crime loses its effect and strength as the time goes on. One can come up with a very appealing research by comparing the data showing the effects of speedometer today and in the past when that research was conducted (Patterson, 2010). It would be useful to look at the decay in its strength over the period. Moreover, this research could also come up with suggestions to explore practices, tools and catalysts that can ignite and strengthen the effect of mobile roadside speedometers. However, it is also important to acknowledge the fact that keeping all other factors constant would be a big challenge for the researchers since it would be impossible to attain perfection and accuracy in this regard (Patterson, 2010).

Methodology
In addition to the purpose statement, it is very imperative for every researcher to plan methodology part before beginning the research that enables effective collection of comprehensive data, whereas, lack of methodological planning often results in waste of time, as well as unconstructive results. For this reason, in order to avoid ineffectiveness, the researcher has put enormous efforts to plan methodological phase of the proposed research that will include secondary research methodology fundamentally while primary research methods to validate secondary data in an effective manner. Specifically, secondary research method will include scrutiny and analysis of books, journals, articles, magazines, websites, and a huge variety of other resources from libraries and the internet that will be in relation with the identified purpose statement related to mobile roadside speedometer or speed monitoring display in the traffic, especially in the United States.

Although researcher has identified a few reports and studies related to the topic, however, the proposed research will include their detailed examination that will allow the researcher in determining the effectiveness and usefulness of mobile roadside speedometer in the traffic. One of the major factors of focusing on secondary research methodology is existence of various experts that are concerned about the efficiency of mobile roadside speedometers, and thus, the researcher will attempt to benefit from these previously carried out studies to take a stand in the end. Another significant reason of choosing secondary research method is its cost effectiveness that enables the researchers to carry out the research without bearing any financial burdens. In addition, internet is another significant platform besides library that will allow acquisition of quality resources and materials related to the topic within few clicks.

However, unfortunately, secondary research method has few drawbacks, as it will only allow examination based on existing material regardless of its relevancy with the specific identified research statement. In this regard, besides secondary method, it will be essential to consider primary research methodology as well that will enable the researcher in acquiring quality data based on particular aims and objectives of the proposed study. From this rationale, in the primary research methodology, the researcher will endeavor to interview some of the traffic police officials associated with the utilization of mobile roadside speedometer or speed monitoring display that will provide a critical and practical perspective to the research.

In addition, data of the primary methodology will facilitate researcher in validating, evaluating, and comparing data of secondary research methodology as well that will be very beneficial in terms of acquiring quality and constructive information during the research. In this regard, the proposed research will include both secondary and primary research methodologies that will be an effective way of analyzing the research statement in an unprejudiced manner.

Conclusion
In conclusion, it is an understanding that the proposed research will be focusing on the research statement of analyzing the effectiveness of mobile roadside speedometer or speed monitoring display on the traffic that has become one of the most imperative concerns of traffic police officials in midst of huge number of road accidents and deaths due to such accidents annually. The proposal included brief literature review including analysis of few studies and reports that focused on the effectiveness of such technological tools in the traffic. For instance, overall data of one of the studies clearly indicated that these mobile roadside speedometers were useful enough since they were able to bring a reduction in speeds of cars of almost 10 percent for vehicles alongside the speedometers and reduction of about 7 percent at short distances.

Another study pointed out that these speedometers were highly effective if they contained the signature of police on them. On the other hand, mobile roadside speedometers were unable to hit the bulls-eye that effectively in the absence of this signature. In addition, some experts specified that potential variations in effects of mobile roadside speedometers with variations in time of the day and traffic intensity could also influence the effect of these mobile roadside speedometers. Without any doubts, official statistics show that most of the traffic accidents have their causes rooted in drugs and alcohol consumption. If mobile roadside speedometers can prove themselves effective even for alcoholic drivers then they this would be a precious finding. In this regard, such studies will be very helpful during final research. Lastly, the proposal indicated planning of methodology that will include secondary, as well as primary research methodology to acquire quality data during the research. Finally, it is expectation of the researcher that findings and analysis during the proposed research will be very worthy and beneficial for students, teachers, and professionals in better understanding of the identified research statement.