44 EMPLOYMENT PSYCHOLOGY 
brakes. However, he loses his presence of mind and there is a 
collision. 
4. A type in which the driver has an accident because of a lack 
of foresight. He is never conscious of the possible movements of 
other vehicles or pedestrians. He can drive all right, does not 
take chances, does not get abnormally excited in emergencies, but 
merely lacks the ability quickly to size up a situation which is at 
all out of the ordinary. This is the driver who, for example, 
because there is no obstructing traffic, comes speeding down a 
street, beside which several small children are unconcernedly 
playing. One of them steps in front of him and is injured. In 
sizing up the street situation, this driver should have taken into 
account the children on the sidewalk. In traffic he may run into 
the rear of the car ahead because he does not foresee from the 
movements of the other cars and the entire situation the possibil- 
ity of that car stopping suddenly. 
When “riding the meter” (riding in front with the driver) with 
all types of drivers I discovered that good drivers invariably 
possessed this ability to see ahead, to feel what the other person 
is going to do. 
s. A type due, for lack of a better mame, to physiological 
defects. Here is the driver whose reaction time varies consider- 
ably from the average, who is easily distracted, has an abnormally 
short range of observation, or poor ability to estimate the speed 
of objects as well as the distance between moving objects, or who 
has little muscular resistance. 
These five types are those with which the psychologist is con- 
cerned. In addition, there are a sixth, seventh, and eighth type 
of accident. 
6. A type due to physical defects, or disease of various forms. 
We had nothing to do with the prevention of this type of accident 
inasmuch as the medical staff of the Yellow Cab Company passes 
on all applicants. 
7. A type due to a temporary prepossessing idea. The driver 
who has domestic difficulties or sickness in his family is subject 
to these accidents. His mind at moments instead of being on his 
driving is occupied by these difficulties. T he welfare department 
aims to prevent such cases. 
8. A type which is unavoidable. This is the accident due to 
such causes as a sudden breaking of the steering gear, or unusually 
bad street conditions, such as icy pavements on which, no matter 
how much care is taken, an accident is likely to occur. There 
are others in this class, too—accidents which it is not possible for 
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