Cars and behaviour: psychological barriers to car restraint ... - iapsc

whereby the vehicles in which they travelled were entirely their own domain, equipped
according to their own status and taste, as saloons, boudoirs or even bedrooms. The
coach, with its coats-of-arms and emblems, was a symbol of nobility and power and was
therefore a way of keeping the common people at a respectful distance. It enabled its
occupants to come and go as they pleased. To enjoy the benefits of the train (speed,
comfort and distance) the upper classes had to subject themselves to the timetable and
network of the railways. They had to use the same personnel, carriages, schedules and
stations as the common people.
In short, the aloofness and the social [and physical] superiority guaranteed by the coach
was no longer possible in the train. And then came the automobile. Suddenly it was
possible to benefit from the transport revolution without having to forfeit the advantages
of travelling by coach. Only the nobility and the wealthy could afford the first
automobiles, which were built by hand and constructed, fitted out and used in almost the
same manner as coaches. Even the terminology of the coach era was adopted and is
still used today (coachwork, horsepower). The automobile culture was born among the
upper classes - the nobility, bankers, manufacturers, theatre stars and prominent
academics. The rich demonstrated to the astounded masses what the motor car
signified: social status, freedom and independence, and - above all - an opportunity to
escape from the crowd.
From the early years of the automobile, the belief that the car is a symbol of social
superiority and individuality became deeply embedded in the soul of elite and mass
alike. Motor racing added to this a sense of sport and adventure. Many car drivers still
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