THE RIGHT TO DRIVE

In legal terms the right to drive is a "mere privilege" insofar as the driver must demonstrate he is worthy of the right to drive and must take a driver's licence on the state's own terms. This right carries certain duties pertaining to the use of the road, the use of the vehicle and the control of driving behaviour. The psychological characteristics which influence driving behaviour are difficult to govern by rules, since they are components of a network which is individual to each single person. It may therefore be more satisfactory to identify classes of drivers and then to examine their performance. Two separate although overlapping research projects which relate to such a study have been completed and are briefly described, one on social handicap, the other on illiterate drivers. The findings have led to the identification of a special, though extensive group of people with "social learning problems" who need some particular consideration if they are to be given the opportunity to gain the right to drive. (A) /TRRL/