Driver Control: Achieving Greater Traffic Safety Through Efficiency at the Wheel

Kraft, Merwyn Adolph, 1905- · 1953 · ROSA P / Eno Foundation for Highway Traffic Control

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Summary

This 1953 monograph by Merwyn Kraft, published by the Eno Foundation, addresses the critical role of driver control in reducing traffic accidents. The author argues that while traffic safety involves engineering, enforcement, and education, the driver is the paramount factor, as human error and maladjustment account for the majority of accidents. The paper aims to outline methods for achieving greater safety through rigorous efficiency and control at the wheel, focusing on both private motorists and commercial vehicle operators. The text analyzes current driver licensing procedures, using the Uniform Vehicle Code (Act II) as a model for granting driving privileges. It details the licensing process in Connecticut as an example of high standards, which includes law tests, comprehensive eye examinations (checking for acuity, color blindness, and depth perception), and practical road tests evaluating specific driving actions like signaling, turning, and judgment. However, Kraft identifies significant systemic failures in national licensing, including inadequate state laws, insufficient funding, political pressure to avoid strict administration, and poorly trained examiners. He notes that many states fail to enforce the concept that driving is a privilege rather than a right, leading to the licensing of incompetent drivers. To address these deficiencies, the paper proposes a more rigorous approach to driver selection and control. For private motorists, Kraft advocates for comprehensive physical and psychiatric examinations, thorough written and road tests, and periodic re-examinations to ensure continued fitness. For commercial fleets, the text outlines administrative controls such as maintaining individual driver records, implementing uniform penalty systems, and utilizing suspensions. A key methodological contribution is the "Case Interview Plan," a structured procedure for corrective and improvement interviews with drivers. This involves analyzing accident or violation records, conducting formal interviews to address behavioral issues, and following up to ensure compliance. The paper also reviews state-level administrative controls, such as point systems and warning letters, citing programs in Texas and Oregon. The significance of this work lies in its assertion that substantial progress in traffic safety requires a shift toward stricter pre-licensing screening and post-licensing behavioral control. Kraft concludes that until public opinion supports rigorous standards and legislators provide adequate resources, accident rates will remain high. The paper serves as a guide for motor vehicle administrators and fleet managers, emphasizing that eliminating unfit drivers through scientific testing and administrative discipline is the most direct path to reducing traffic fatalities and injuries.

Key finding

Strict administration of comprehensive driver licensing standards and ongoing behavioral monitoring through interviews and penalty systems are critical for reducing traffic accidents.

Methodology

review

Provenance

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Summary generated by qwen3.6-27b-prismaquant on 2026-06-10; verification: verified.

Topics

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• licensing policy
• driver education effectiveness
• bus coach
• regulatory evaluation

Information type

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• Applied Guidance: countermeasure evaluation
• Theoretical Contribution: computational model, theory or model