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https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/27432/critical-issues-in-transportation-for-2024-and-beyond

Assessment of personal resources for safe driving. The principles of medical psychological assessment in Germany

In Germany, the Medical Psychological Assessment (MPA) is since almost 60 years an important method to assess drivers' requirements for safe driving. According to German legislation a driver has to make sure that he or she is of good physical and mental condition and did not commit severe or repeatedly violations in traffic. In this sense, personal requirements to drive are more than simply being able to steer a vehicle, as personality aspects (e.g. alcohol consumption style, risk taking, hazard perception) health and performance-related factors (e.g. reaction capacity or concentration) are integrated in the general concept of fitness to drive. The MPA usually consists of four segments: A questionnaire regarding drivers' personal and driving biography. Second, a medical examination to check physical condition (e.g. medical history, physical examination, laboratory analyse). Further, a psychological diagnostic interview is carried out to find out if the applicant did change his or her behaviour and attitudes regarding traffic violations. And at least, the applicant has to show a minimum of fundamental psychophysical abilities (such as reaction capacity, visual perception or concentration) with the help of a computer-based psychological performance test. This methodological mix is a very important challenge for the experts: How can different data from different sources be integrated to achieve a valid outcome? This decision-making procedure is supported by inspection principles and rating criteria, which are outlined in a basic manual entitled "Assessment of personal resources for safe driving", which is to be published for the first time in English and will be presented in the session. The manual concentrates on the diagnostic process, which starts with the identification of quality and intensity of drivers' personal problem (e.g. alcohol addiction, abuse of alcohol, habituation to higher consume levels, risky attitudes to drive under the influence of alcohol). Then the experts take a close look at the process of changes, which is to be appreciated, including the applicants' skills and wills to perform changed behaviour also in future. The current publication of the MPA-system combines the introduction of basic MPA-ideas with the decision-making procedure by giving several examples to illustrate the stages of data collection and integration. The special value of this manual is its interdisciplinary approach. The appendix presents the methodological toolbox. A standardized examination process, principles and rules of data integration are important contributions towards a fair, transparent and valid driver assessment, which supports the applicant in his or her attempts to get back the withdrawn driving-licence. (A)

  • Availability:
  • Supplemental Notes:
    • See also AN 01582584.
  • Authors:
    • Wagner, T
    • Brenner-Hartmann, J
    • Seidl, J
    • Musshoff, F
    • Hoffmann-Born, H
    • Loehr-Schwaab, S
  • Publication Date: 2014-11

Language

  • English

Media Info

  • Media Type: Print
  • Features: References;
  • Pagination: pp 19-22
  • Monograph Title: Fit to drive. Proceedings of the 8th International traffic expert congress. Warsaw, May 8th-9th 2014
  • Serial:

Subject/Index Terms

Filing Info

  • Accession Number: 01597268
  • Record Type: Publication
  • Source Agency: Bundesanstalt für Straßenwesen (BASt)
  • ISBN: 978-3-2812-1918-2
  • Files: ITRD
  • Created Date: Apr 26 2016 8:54AM