The Police and the Less Intelligent Driver*
| Author | E Cunningham Dax,Lorinne Boyce |
| DOI | 10.1177/000486587701000104 |
| Published date | 01 March 1977 |
| Date | 01 March 1977 |
AUST &NZ
JOURNAL
OF
CRIMIN()L()GY
(March 1977) 10 (5-16)
THE
POLICE
AND
THE
LESS
INTELLIGENT
DRIVERo
Lorinne
Boyce]
and
ECunningham Daxt
5
In a previous study of driving offences in young males of low intelligence we
compared
400 with an IQ of 100 or over (Group A) with a similarly selected
group of 400 from the same four high schools,
but
with an IQ of 90 or less
(Group B) (Boyce &Dax 1973, 1974).
The
IQ's were
measured
by the
Tasmanian 10 year
old
test. All the subjects at the time of examination
were
aged
from 17-21 inclusive.
We found those of lower intelligence
had
obtained the
same
number
of
driving licences as those in the higher range. However the less bright
had
statistically
more
traffic offences,
and
when
these
were
analysed into "types" of
offences both the
repeat
and
also the serious offences
were
significantly greater
in number. Serious offences
were
classified according to the Australian Road
Research Board's categories (Kornaczewski et al 1972).
We also showed
the
duller persons
had
alarger
number
of charges brought
against them at each court appearance,
and
that
when the "varieties" of offences
were
analysed they
had
statistically
more
non-moving offences than those of
higher intelligence,
but
no
more
moving offences.
The
non-moving offences
cover
such violations as driving without alicence, failing to register a vehicle,
leaving the scene of an accident
and
car
faults. Moving offences include
negligent or dangerous driving
and
those offences reflecting actual driving
behaviour such as overtaking
when
unsafe, failure to observe traffic signs
and
signals
and
the like.
TABLE I
Acomparison
between
the moving
and
non-moving offences
committed
by those of higher and
lower intelligence
Moving offences .
Non-moving of fences .
Total offences .
Group
A
(IQ
>
1(0)
58
44
102
Group
8
(IQ
<90)
59
139
198
S;~',;f;ca"ce
x.s.
P<.05
P<
.ns
•
\\'e
wish to thank the Commissioner of Police in Tasmania, Mr E
\'
Knowles, for the help that
members of his staff
have
given us,
and
the Mental Health Services Commission for their
continuing support.
tLonnne Boyce BA (WA) MSc (Columbia)
Dip
Soc
\\1<:
(Syd) Research Social Worker, Mental
Health Services
COli
II
nission , Tasmania.
tECunningham Dax
FRACP
FANZCP
Coordinator
in
Community
Health Services, Tasmania.
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