In Germany, license restoration after serious or repeated
offenses requires a positive Medical Psychological Assessment (MPA), a test to
determine the driver's aptitude. Fulfilling the conditions necessary for a
positive MPA often takes longer than the period of license revocation, which is
perhaps due to the involvement of different personal, organizational, and
environmental factors. To optimize the rehabilitation process, the present
study analyzed the key aspects of successful rehabilitation after repeated or
serious driving offenses.
After participating in the MPA, 1,631 subjects completed a
questionnaire about rehabilitation efforts in order to regain their driver
aptitude. The selection of items for this questionnaire was made according to
our own prior research, interviews with problem drivers, and the diagnostic
criteria for the MPA. Participants were asked when and from whom they obtained
certain information, and how relevant this information was for their success.
In contrast to other studies, which used re-offense rates as a criterion for
successful rehabilitation, we used a positive MPA result (positive, negative,
or training) as the criterion for success.
- Just over half (52%) of the participants considered themselves optimally informed about the rehabilitation process.
- The others (47.4% of participants) judged the adequacy of received information as less than satisfactory.
- Offenders who did not partake in counseling before the MPA achieved a successful result only about half as often (37.1%) as those who did (70%),
- and were around three times as likely to have additional courses imposed upon them (21% vs. 7.6%).
- Of the offenders who received crucial and helpful information at an early stage, 62.4% attained a positive MPA at the first attempt (regardless of having attended any training courses).
The results clearly indicate that the provision of relevant
information at an early stage combined with counseling has a beneficial
influence on success rates for the rehabilitation process (an increase from
37.1% to 81%). As such, we recommend the introduction of obligatory license
consultations, offered by MPA experts, involving a status assessment to
customize offenders' rehabilitation and thereby provide more or less intensive
guidance or coaching depending on offenders' characteristics throughout their
progression through the MPA system.
- 1a Ernst-Moritz-Arndt-University of Greifswald , Department Health and Prevention, Section: Social & Organizational Psychology , Franz-Mehring-Str. 47, D-17487 Greifswald , Germany.
