🧪 This platform is in early beta. Features may change and you might encounter bugs. We appreciate your patience!
the_peltzman_effect
The tendency to adjust behavior in response to perceived changes in risk, often increasing risk-taking when safety measures are introduced. People maintain a target level of risk rather than enjoying the full benefit of safety improvements.
Drivers with ABS brakes drive more aggressively, partially offsetting the safety benefit. Skydivers with better equipment attempt riskier maneuvers.
After a city installs bright new streetlights and traffic cameras in a notoriously dangerous intersection, pedestrians begin crossing mid-block and ignoring walk signals, assuming the infrastructure makes them safe. Accident rates barely improve as a result.
Following the introduction of mandatory helmet laws for cyclists, studies find that some riders take faster routes through heavy traffic and attempt more technical maneuvers, reasoning that the helmet protects them — partially canceling out the safety gains the law was designed to produce.
Binary (yes/no) questions an LLM must answer to identify this aspect:
Has a safety measure or risk reduction been introduced?
Type: binaryDo people respond to the increased safety by taking more risks?
Type: binaryDoes the increased risk-taking partially or fully offset the safety benefit?
Type: binaryThe tendency to adjust behavior in response to perceived changes in risk, often increasing risk-taking when safety measures are introduced. People maintain a target level of risk rather than enjoying the full benefit of safety improvements.
People have an internal risk thermostat. When external safety increases, they unconsciously recalibrate by taking more risks until their perceived risk returns to its habitual level.
Design safety measures that do not signal increased safety to the user, or pair safety improvements with explicit risk awareness education.
Automotive safety features, financial regulation, sports equipment improvements, and public health interventions.
Use these tools to detect, analyze, or train this aspect.