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Do teens with ADHD drive more dangerously?
Charles Li, MD
September 14, 2023
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ADHD Increases Risky Driving Among Teens
Teens with ADHD have a higher likelihood of car accidents, traffic tickets, and license suspensions due to lower inhibitions and basic driving skill challenges.
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Treating ADHD can Improve Driving Safety
Treatment for ADHD symptoms, such as medication like Ritalin, can significantly enhance driving ability and reduce risky behavior.
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Study Shows Ritalin Improves Driving Skills
Teens with ADHD who received Ritalin exhibited safer driving behaviors, including fewer stop sign violations, reduced speeding, and better road adherence.
Driving is one of the leading causes of death among young adults. Inexperience and lack of self-control all contribute to higher rates of car accidents for teens as they learn to drive.
Some studies have shown that ADHD can make it even more dangerous for teens to drive.
One study below found that young adults with ADHD had more traffic tickets, car accidents, and license suspensions.
Higher car accident rates were specifically linked with lower inhibitions, which is common among those with ADHD.
According to the authors of the study, these results suggest that it's important to treat ADHD symptoms in teens for their safety. ADHD medication, in this case, can potentially save lives.
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The totality of results to date on driving risks in ADHD young adults argues for the need to initiate intervention aimed at the reduction or elimination of these adverse driving outcomes and basic driving deficiencies in those with ADHD. Among the possible extant interventions, the use of stimulant medication for the management of these driving problems would seem to hold the greatest promise.
ADHD and driving skills
Teens with ADHD are likely trying their best to drive well. They aren't necessarily indifferent or negligent. Instead, as the study below shows, they struggle more with basic driving skills.
In a study where teens knew they were monitored for driving skills, researchers found that teens with ADHD were far more likely to get into car accidents and experience dangerous driving incidents. Even though the teens were aware that they were tracked as part of a study, those with ADHD still drove significantly more dangerously.
These dangerous incidents include risky driving behavior, impulsive behavior, or distracted driving. These are all linked with ADHD symptoms.
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The nature of g-force events are quite different for ADHD drivers than non-ADHD drivers, with non-ADHD drivers being more likely to have g-force events in either the situation of lapsed attention to the road or as part of defensive driving, whereas ADHD drivers have more events triggered by adverse driving conditions, increased risky driving behavior, increased impulsive and hyperactive behavior, and distraction by factors inside the car.
ADHD treatment and driving safety
Fortunately, ADHD can be treated, and this treatment can potentially improve driving ability.
The study below found that those with ADHD who were given Ritalin drove significantly safer. They had fewer stop sign violations, less speeding, and were better at staying on the road.
Key Takeaways
ADHD makes it harder for teens to drive.
Teenagers with ADHD experience more car accidents and dangerous driving incidents due to lower inhibitions and struggle with basic driving skills.
Medication can help improve driving safety.
Treating ADHD symptoms with medication like Ritalin can lead to safer driving behaviors, such as fewer violations and improved focus on the road.
Talk to your doctor if you think you might have ADHD.
If you suspect you or your teenager might have ADHD, seeking medical advice to discuss symptoms and potential treatments is important for driving safety.