NCJ Number
65641
Date Published
Unknown
Length
3 pages
Annotation
THIS ITALIAN PAPER STATES THAT PERSONALITY CHARACTERISTICS OFTEN ARE AN IMPORTANT FACTOR IN TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS AND DIFFERENT MORE PRECISE CRITERIA ARE NEEDED FOR ASSESSING FITNESS TO DRIVE.
Abstract
A TOTAL OF 200 INDIVIDUALS WHO WERE RESPONSIBLE FOR ROAD ACCIDENTS WERE EXAMINED TO TEST THEIR PHYSICAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL FITNESS TO DRIVE. FOR EACH CASE, 30 ASPECTS WERE ANALYZED CONCERNING SOCIOLOGICAL AND LEGAL FACTORS, PSYCHOLOGICAL FACTORS, PHYSICAL STATE, AND THE CIRCUMSTANCES OF THE ACCIDENT. THE DATA WAS STATISTICALLY REVIEWED ON THE BASIS OF A SAMPLE OF 100 CASES. RESULTS SHOWED THAT THOSE INVOLVED IN TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS OFTEN HAD A CRIMINAL RECORD AS WELL AS PSYCHOLOGICAL ANOMALIES (INCLUDING SUBNORMAL INTELLIGENCE). NO CASE OF DRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF ALCOHOL OR DRUGS WAS VERIFIED. THE PSYCHOLOGICAL MECHANISM WHICH LED TO AN ACCIDENT WAS GENERALLY IMPRUDENCE (THE INABILITY TO FORESEE THE POSSIBLE RISKS IN DRIVING DANGEROUSLY). TO ASSESS FITNESS TO DRIVE, BOTH PHYSICAL EFFICIENCY AND THE PSYCHOLOGICAL PERSONALITY OF THE DRIVER MUST BE CONSIDERED. PERSONS WHO ARE PHYSICALLY FIT BUT PSYCHOLOGICALLY UNSOUND SHOULD BE REFUSED LICENSES. SANCTIONS FOR DANGEROUS ' DRIVING SHOULD BE STRENGTHENED. TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS COULD BE PREVENTED BY AN ASSESSMENT, BY MEANS OF A VALID CRITERIA OF UNFITNESS TO DRIVE BEFORE ISSUING A LICENSE; BY LIMITATION OF THE PRODUCTION AND USE OF VERY FAST VEHICLES; BY ISSUING DIFFERENT TYPES AND LEVELS OF LICENSES; AND BY APPLYING PREVENTIVE SANCTIONS MORE STRINGENTLY. (MJW)