ADHD and Driving
Learning to drive is an important rite of passage for many teenagers. Getting a driver’s license often means more independence and mobility, but driving is also a big responsibility. The skill to safely drive a motor vehicle requires an ability to make flexible judgments and maintain an emotional balance in sometimes boring and often highly-stressful, unpredictable environments. For young people with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder this can be challenging.
Attention Deficit Disorder results from problems in functioning in one or more brain regions associated with the development and control of attention, motor behavior and impulsivity. Recent research has shown that the brains of young people with ADHD develop in the same manner that the brains of young people who do not have ADHD develop – just slower (on average about three years slower).
For young people learning to drive, slower brain development may have a significant impact. While lack of experience affects all young drivers, young people with ADHD are particularly vulnerable to the complex cognitive and emotional demands required to safely drive a motor vehicle.
Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death in adolescents, and ADHD is a major contributor. Young drivers with ADHD are:
- 2 times more likely to have traffic collisions
- 3 times as likely to have injuries
- 4 times as likely to be at fault
- 6–8 ´ more likely to have license suspended
Other recent research has shown that young people treated with medications to help with their ADHD symptoms show substantially increased pathways between brain regions, thus allowing those regions to communicate faster and more effectively.
Right now we have a good idea of the different parts of the brain involved in ADHD, how these parts grow and develop, and what treatments are helpful for ADHD. Effective treatment of ADHD is likely to decrease the risk of driving misadventure of teens.
Check out this video on ADHD and Driving by Dr. Kenny Handelman on www.adhd.tv
~ Dr. Stan Kutcher & Dr. Laurence Jerome