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Does ADHD lead to car accidents?
Charles Li, MD
August 31, 2023
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Difficulties with attention, impulsivity, and emotional control can make it more difficult for those with ADHD to drive.
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Studies have shown that those with ADHD are more likely to get into car accidents.
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They are also more likely to drive dangerously, aggressively, and recklessly.
ADHD is defined by symptoms involving attention and impulsivity. While we tend to associate it with difficulties in school, it can also lead to challenges in everyday life.
When it comes to driving, ADHD can potentially be life-threatening.
Driving is one of the leading causes of death in young adults. Studies have shown that children with ADHD are more likely to drive dangerously.
ADHD and Car Accidents
One study of 56 individuals with ADHD found that those with ADHD are more likely to have had a car accident in the past 3 months.
They were also more likely to have lost control of their car at one point while driving:
The authors of this study believed that anger may have caused some of these accidents. Adults with ADHD were generally found to be more angry, risky, and impulsive:
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ADHD participants reported more anger and aggressive expression through the use of their vehicle and less adaptive and constructive anger expression than their non-ADHD peers. Adult ADHD drivers rated themselves as more angry, risky, and unsafe drivers and reported experiencing more losses of concen- tration and vehicular control than college students.
A second paper confirmed these results in a study that measured driving skills for those with ADHD.
Researchers found that those with ADHD were more likely to have been in an accident than those who did not have ADHD. They were also more likely to experience sudden braking, acceleration, and turns. These can be indications of distracted or dangerous driving.
Driving with ADHD vs Alcohol
The negative effects of ADHD on driving are so strong that one study compared it to being drunk.
In a driving simulator test, adults with ADHD were found to be almost as impaired as adults who had been given alcohol before driving.
They were more likely to struggle with lane-keeping and steering compared to adults without ADHD:
This research confirms the dangerous effects of ADHD on driving. It also suggests that those with ADHD need to be even more careful when it comes to drinking, since they are already potentially dangerous or careless drivers without alcohol:
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The study provides some compelling evidence to suggest that the cognitive and behavioral deficits associated with ADHD might impair driving performance in a manner that is similar in profile to that of an intoxicated driver. Moreover, analyses of acute alcohol effects on driving performance in this population suggest additive impairments from the drug that could considerably compromise driving skills even at “legally-tolerated” BACs
Key Takeaways
Studies have consistently shown that ADHD negatively impacts driving ability. The effects of ADHD on attention and impulsivity may contribute to car accidents and careless driving.
The emotional symptoms of ADHD may also play a role in dangerous driving.
As the first study showed, those with ADHD may be more likely to drive angrily and aggressively.