This paper describes the Driver Therapy, developed by the Medico-Psychological Institutes (MPI) of the German TÜV (a Technical Control Association); it also presents the results of a comparison between DUI (driving under the influence of alcohol) offenders who have passed and failed probation. The Driver Therapy is administered to German drivers, who have been classified as unfit for driving and not eligible for the usual driver improvement programmes. It is conceived as an individual therapy, and aims to identify and change behaviour patterns that cause massive or repeated DUI offences. Its successive parts are: (1) an initial examination, to analyse the driver's problem; (2) the treatment by therapeutically qualified psychologists, that is based on behaviour therapy and client-centred psychotherapy; (3) an independent final examination, to test the success of the treatment; (4) an internal multi-step evaluation, to test the effectiveness of the treatment. The results of a road traffic probation period for 139 DUI offenders were examined. Within two years, only nine had committed another DUI offence, and the other 130 had passed their probation period. Very surprisingly, no significant differences were found between their pre-probation characteristics. This finding suggests that recidivism of drunk drivers seems to be unpredictable from personality factors.
Samenvatting