Previous studies have shown that Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) increases the risk of unsafe driving. Research has shown that young drivers with ADHD, compared to young drivers without ADHD, are:
- Likely to have nearly four times as many car accidents
- Three times as many speeding offences
- Three times as likely to be injured in an accident
- Four times as likely to be at fault
- Six times more likely to have their license suspended
These risks are due to difficulty judging situations, lack of organisation, difficulties concentrating and impulsive actions.
It is a well known fact that alcohol influences someone’s driving ability. It has been shown that individuals with ADHD have the same impairment while driving as someone who does not have ADHD but has taken alcohol.
Many teenagers reach a point where they refuse to take prescribed medication for ADHD. However, it has been shown through virtual reality driving simulators that methylphenidate improves the driving performance of a young person with ADHD.
For these reasons, it is important for young adults and their parents to be aware of the risks related to driving and ADHD, especially as many youngsters display a “no fear” attitude. The individual must take the medication they are prescribed to aid their concentration and, if this is not taken, they must accept that by driving they may be at a greater risk to both themselves and others.
A young person with ADHD should contact the DVLA to ensure that appropriate support is provided as well as informing their insurance company of their diagnosis.
Here are some tips for parents of a teenager with ADHD who is learning to drive:
- Determine the readiness of the learner to drive. Young people with ADHD are often immature compared to peers. Consequently, teenagers with ADHD, could take significantly longer to develop good judgment and a mature attitude to driving.
- Understand the impact of ADHD on driving safely. Safety can be made more difficult by having ADHD. Parents and the learner driver must make efforts to understand these complications and work to minimise the risks involved.
- Consider medication issues and driving safety. Individuals who have been prescribed medication should only drive within the time limits of the particular medication they are taking, when concentration and attention span are at their optimum.
- Carry out a driving lesson plan. It is common to underestimate the time needed to teach an individual to drive. A learner driver with ADHD can take 3 times longer to learn to drive.
- Negotiate new rules after the ADHD driver has passed their test. Having passed their test the new driver is read to drive a car without adult supervision. Some new rules should be established before they drive alone including curfews, amount of passengers, who pays for petrol and insurance.
