Two groups of 50 drivers each, one consisting of people convicted for careless driving, and the other a control group chosen at random, were subjected to pictorial psychological tests and to a practical test of 12-mile urban driving in their own cars. Significant differences were found in the first group covering about twice the annual mileage of the control group, and they used their cars more for business plus pleasure than for pleasure alone. A tentative classification in 4 subgroups of drivers is given: safe, injudicious, dissociated active and dissociated passive. Testing of drivers under real conditions is to be preferred. Significant differences as regards drivers attitudes were found in the use of the rear-view mirror, the ratio of overtaking to being overtaken, the frequency of unusual manoeuvres, and the frequency of near-accidents. The second part of the report describes a similar test, but in which check sheets were used to record drivers' actions in stead of tape recorders, significant differences were found in respect of risks taken, ratio of overtaking to being overtaken, and the number of unnecessary manoeuvres.
Abstract