Visual inhibitions of automobile driving

Three patients in psychotherapy who were symptomatically unable to drive automobiles also gave histories of having been afflicted with oculomotor disorders in childhood. This calls attention to the previously undiscussed visual dimension of automobile driving, which is considered in general terms. The specific question of an inhibition of visual function resulting in avoidance of automobile driving is then raised, and a case illustration given in which the attachment of sexual and aggressive meanings to the act of looking was important in the formation of an automobile driving symptom. The particular impact of ocular deviation on early psychosexual development is explored, using the clinical material as a point of departure.