Driving Culture in Iran Law and Society on the Roads of the Islamic Republic By Reza Banakar (London: I.B. Tauris, 2016. 304 pages.)

Abstract

Driving Culture in Iran creatively explores the relationship between legal
culture and citizenry formation in post-revolutionary Iran. Banakar focusses
on driving customs and explanations for citizens’ disregard of traffic
laws, demonstrating that the exceptionally high rates of road accidents and
lack of law abidance is due to the complex cultural and political climate. The
monograph argues that the state’s propaganda machine promotes revolutionary
zeal but in a context where people are penalized if they dissent (3).

Consequently, dissension becomes a tool for control, setting into motion
multiple forms of internal conflict which are reflected in the way Iranians
relate to one another as well as in increasing rates of road traffic accidents
(4). The originality of the study rests in its exploration of political life at
the juncture of law and culture. Through his analysis of the unintended
cultural outcomes of the legal structure in Iran, Banakar contributes to our
understanding of citizenship formation in hybrid and religiously charged
regimes. In particular, the book illustrates how citizens’ distrust of the state
can have deadly consequences on Iran’s roads. The monograph will be of
interest to academics and other professionals working on the Middle East,
Islam, and from a multitude of disciplinary perspectives ...