ADHD & Driving: Challenges, Risks, & Safety

What Is ADHD?

Symptoms of ADHD can affect one or more important areas of life such as relationships, at work or school or in adaptive functioning (e.g. getting chores done around the house or remembering to brush your teeth in the morning). There are common challenges associated with ADHD and these difficulties can definitely interfere with important parts of life and functioning.

ADHD & Driving: What Are the Risks?

It is possible for a person with ADHD to experience difficulties with driving due to high levels of distractibility, and impulsivity, which results in general deficits in their ability to sustain attention.

Below are possible risk of driving with ADHD:

Increased Car Accidents

It is possible for people with ADHD to have an increased risk of car accidents. For example, research has found that for children and adolescents with ADHD, there is a general increased risk of experiencing accidents and injuries over the course of their lifespan.¹ This could be due to many different symptoms or a combination of symptoms associated with ADHD; higher levels of impulsivity, risky driving associated with “chasing dopamine,” and distractibility.

Distractions While Driving

People living with ADHD may also be easily distracted while driving. In today’s world, there is no shortage of distraction and even individuals who do not struggle with ADHD tend to be distracted drivers. For example, cell phones are a huge trigger for distracted driving that would likely be even more of a distraction for someone living with ADHD. Someone with ADHD might try too hard to multitask – by talking on the phone, planning their schedule, paying attention to their music, and may not pay attention to driving.

Slow Response Times

A variability of response times is linked to ADHD diagnosis. For example, one frequent neurological test given in the diagnosing process for ADHD assesses an individual’s response times when faced with varying degrees of auditory and visual stimuli. Someone with slow response times when presented with stimuli could experience impairment when driving compared to the general population.

Driving Without a License

Someone who struggles chronically with forgetfulness or misplacing important items; two common symptoms of ADHD, may also frequently struggle with forgetting important documents such as their drivers license. This can present an increased risk for getting tickets if pulled over. The consequences of chronic forgetfulness can come at a heavy cost when it comes to driving.

Reckless Driving

If someone is high on impulsivity and risk taking and is diagnosed with ADHD then they likely will have an increased risk of engaging in reckless driving. This behavior has been observed more frequently in adolescent populations where neurological development may also play a role in terms of risk taking and inability to adequately assess the consequences to choices made.²

Which Symptoms of ADHD Can Affect Driving?

Certain symptoms in particular play a role in the risks of driving with ADHD. As always, it is important to remember not to generalize that this information will apply to every person living with ADHD and it is always important to remember that accidents often result from an interplay of multiple factors.

Symptoms of ADHD that may impact driving include:

• Inattention: Difficulty sustaining attention to stimuli in the environment could lead to driving difficulties.
• Impulsivity: Impulsivity can be related to an increase in risky driving.
• Sleep issues: Being sleep deprived is also a risk factor in car accidents. Individuals living with ADHD often report difficulties sleeping and can therefore be at greater risk.³
• Irritability: Difficulties with emotion regulation associated with ADHD may lead to increased irritability which has also been associated with greater risks for car accidents or impaired driving.
• Distractibility: If someone struggles with increased distractibility this can result in impaired driving behavior.

Can You Drive While Taking ADHD Medication?

Research has shown that ADHD medications, particularly stimulants, can actually improve driving.⁴ Untreated ADHD puts an individual at greater risk for impaired driving ability, which supports the importance of seeking treatment when struggling with ADHD symptoms in order to avoid serious risks and consequences associated with untreated symptoms.

ADHD & Driving: Is Car Insurance More Expensive?

If an individual has more frequent car accidents and incidents with driving, this can result in increases in car insurance costs. Oftentimes the consequences to untreated symptoms associated with ADHD can have severe consequences that manifest in real life struggles, such as expensive car insurance or in severe cases, having a license revoked. If you notice these patterns and consequences in your life mounting, it is important to seek treatment for symptoms.

10 Tips for Safe Driving With ADHD

There are ways people living with ADHD can improve their driving if driving impairment is something they frequently experience.

Here are 10 tips for driving safely with ADHD:

1. Take Your Medications as Prescribed

Taking medications as prescribed is the best way to ensure that the medications will work in the way they are supposed to. If considering increasing or decreasing your dosage, make sure to talk with your prescribing provider first to assess possible side effects.

2. Limit Distractions

For someone prone to distracted driving, doing things like making sure to put your phone out of reach while driving can be a great way to prevent risky driving behavior.

3. Consider Driving a Stick-Shift Car

Driving a car with manual transmission can help a person engage more mindfully with driving, which means they are less likely to be distracted or experience lapses in attention while driving.

4. Never Drive Under the Influence

Due to struggles with impulsivity, alcohol and ADHD can be linked in that an individual may be masking their ADHD symptoms with alcohol or be more likely to engage in risky drinking behaviors. This increased risk for alcohol use can also result in an increased risk for driving impairment.

5. Don’t Drive When Feeling Upset or Angry

Making sure not to drive when under the influence of intense emotions is also a good strategy for decreasing driving risks. It is important to work on developing emotion regulation skills to avoid this situation.

6. Do Mindfulness Exercises

Mindfulness has been found to be helpful in training an individual to be more present and less susceptible to distractions. It may be helpful to practice mindfulness in order to improve driving and other important areas of life where attention and focus are needed.

7. Limit Driving

If frequent car accidents are something you experience, consider riding a bike instead, walking or taking public transit if possible. This may be less risky and ultimately better for the planet.

8. Be Aware of Triggers for Distracted Driving

It may be helpful to take inventory of the things that tend to lead to distracted driving and make preventative plans for avoiding those triggers. For example, if someone struggles with tuning out when listening to a podcast, it may be helpful not to listen to podcasts while driving.

9. Use a Body Double

As long as having another person in the car doesn’t lead to greater distraction, it could be helpful to drive with another person in order to gain support with struggles associated with inattention. People living with ADHD often rely on body doubles to help them stay focused on a task that might otherwise be difficult.

10. Prioritize Self Care

As previously mentioned, other factors such as lack of sleep can result in an increase in distracted or dangerous driving. Making sure to have your basic needs met through practicing self-care is a great way to optimize your ability to function in most important areas of life. Sleep, diet and exercise are all important factors to maintain general mental health and decrease the likelihood of negative consequences and stress.

Treatment for ADHD

There are several treatment options for adults with ADHD that can help manage their symptoms and reduce difficulties in life associated with untreated symptoms. These treatments include medications, behavioral therapy and maintaining a healthy lifestyle. If you’ve noticed ADHD symptoms causing problems in your life, it might be a good time to consult with a professional healthcare provider about diagnosis and ultimately obtaining an individualized treatment plan.

When to Seek Professional Support

If you find you are struggling with symptoms associated with ADHD and/or have recently obtained a diagnosis, it may be helpful to find a neurodiverse affirming therapist. An online therapist directory or online therapy platform is a good choice for finding a therapist who specializes in ADHD treatment. If you are considering medication, an online psychiatrist is also a good choice for finding ADHD medication management.