The motorcycle syndrome.

The author presents findings of an in-depth study of nine accident-prone motorcyclists and outlines a previously undescribed syndrome in an attempt to elucidate the psychological causes of the rapidly rising rate of motorcycle accidents and deaths. Examining the reasons why the motorcycle is particularly dangerous to these patients, the author explores the specific ego defect common to them, their adaptive and defensive use of the cycle, the cycle's symbolic meaning, and the unconscious conflicts it reactivates. He also suggests that this syndrome gives clues to understanding accident-prone drivers of other motor vehicles.

[1]  H. Cairns,et al.  Head Injuries in Motor-cyclists: with Special Reference to Crash Helmets , 1943, British medical journal.

[2]  M E Blazina,et al.  Motorcycle injuries to university students. The high price of the economical motorbike. , 1968, JAMA.

[3]  S Harris,et al.  Psychology of drivers in traffic accidents. , 1965, The Journal of applied psychology.

[4]  K. N. Chandler,et al.  The Effectiveness of Present-Day Crash Helmets for Motorcyclists , 1957 .

[5]  R. Litman,et al.  Fatal one-car accidents. , 1967, The Psychoanalytic quarterly.

[6]  M. Selzer,et al.  Automobile accidents as an expression of psychopathology in an alcoholic population. , 1967, Quarterly journal of studies on alcohol.

[7]  Ross Armstrong McFarland,et al.  Psychological and behavioural aspects of automobile accidents , 1968 .

[8]  L A Foldvary,et al.  The effect of compulsory safety helmets on motorcycle accident fatalities: letter to the editor from jm mckerral with response from la foldvary and jc lane , 1965 .

[9]  J J CONGER,et al.  Personal and interpersonal factors in motor vehicle accidents. , 1957, The American journal of psychiatry.

[10]  M. Selzer,et al.  Automobile accidents, suicide and unconscious motivation. , 1962, The American journal of psychiatry.

[11]  Dilihunt Rc,et al.  The increasing problem of motorcycle accidents. , 1966 .

[12]  Melvin L. Selzer,et al.  Fatal Accidents: The Role of Psychopathology, Social Stress, and Acute Disturbance , 1968 .

[13]  L A Foldvary,et al.  THE EFFECT OF COMPULSORY SAFETY HELMETS ON MOTOR-CYCLE ACCIDENT FATALITIES , 1964 .