CHARACTERISTICS OF DRIVERS INVOLVED IN SINGLE-CAR ACCIDENTS

THIS REPORT DESCRIBES A METHODOLOGY FOR RETROSPECTIVE, IN-DEPTH, PSYCHOLOGICAL INVESTIGATION OF DRIVER FATALITIES. THE RESULTS SUGGEST THAT FATALLY INJURED DRIVERS OF SINGLE-CAR ACCIDENTS CAN BE DIFFERENTIATED FROM FATALLY INJURED DRIVERS OF MULTIPLE-CAR ACCIDENTS ON THE BASIS OF LIFE-STYLE AND PERSONALITY CHARACTERISTICS. SIMILARLY, AN OVERLAP GROUP OF MULTIPLE-CAR AND SINGLE-CAR DRIVERS WITH A HISTORY OF EXCESSIVE ALCOHOL USAGE MAY BE DIFFERENTIATED FROM ALL OTHER FATALLY INJURED DRIVERS ON THE SAME BASIS. THE KATZ ADJUSTMENT SCALES SIGNIFICANTLY DIFFERENTIATED THE ABOVE GROUPS FROM A NORMATIVE POPULATION ON FIVE OF 18 SCALES. PREVENTIVE METHODS SUGGESTED BY THESE RESULTS INCLUDE EDUCATIONAL EFFORTS DIRECTED TOWARD SENSITIZING PERSONS IN CONTACT WITH HIGH-RISK DRIVERS FOR THE PURPOSES OF INTERVENTION, AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF AUTOMATIC SAFETY EQUIPMENT. /AUTHOR/

• Corporate Authors:

  Archives of General Psychiatry

  ,    
• Authors:
  • Schmidt, C W
  • PERLIN, S
  • Townes, W
  • Fisher, R S
  • Shaffer, J W
• Publication Date: 1972-12

Media Info

• Features: References; Tables;
• Pagination: p. 800-3
• Serial:
  • Volume: 27

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Behavior; Crash rates; Driver improvement programs; Drivers; Drunk driving; Fatalities; High risk drivers; Human characteristics; Single vehicle crashes
• Uncontrolled Terms: Driver characteristics; Driver improvement
• Old TRIS Terms: Driver psychology
• Subject Areas: Highways; Safety and Human Factors; Society;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00224338
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Highway Safety Research Institute
• Contract Numbers: FH-11-7399
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Oct 24 1973 12:00AM