Counsel for the defence

I suspect because the human brain does lots of things. 

About 6 years ago a work colleague had recently passed his test (in his 30's) and was driving his car into work. He was less then a quarter of a mile away waiting to turn right at some lights. He "saw a gap" after a van and pulled right across a cyclists path who went over his bonnet. (Luckily minor injuries for the cyclist)

I got asked to go and bring the colleague into work as he was in shock and distraught and placed him in a quiet room until the Mental Heath First Aider could help and take him home. 

Within a year, any mention for this and the reply is that the cyclist was going too fast etc even when you point out the colleague pulled across another vehicles path. 

I expect the fact he got done with a careless driving charge AND an insurance claim might have had a factor in his change of heart but I also think it is one of those ways a mind can cope when healing itself as well.

Personally, I don't understand why they don't just voluntarily give in their license and never drive again. I can relate to not wanting to get hammered by the court, but pleading guilty to careless driving (as dangerous driving is so rarely successfully used) would surely reduce the sentence and so would be a good gambit.

Personally I've never learnt to drive, but that's mainly circumstantial and I've never had a compelling reason to put effort into getting a license. However, I suspect that in my younger days I might well have been an aggressive driver if I had bothered, so it's probably best that I've self limited how much carnage I can cause.

The guilt would destroy me.

I had been hit so many times that I never, ever wanted to be that person, so I never learned to drive.

I make mistakes, get carried away, let my mind wander.  Best not to do that when piloting a tonne or more of metal.

33 years cycle commuting.  I do get hit less now that I realise how unbelievable incompetent and awful many drivers really are.