Clear the Road, Here Comes an AD/HD Driver

While most people realize that AD/HD affects things like work or school performance, many do not realize that it also affects other areas, such as driving. In fact, a person with untreated AD/HD can wreak havoc on the road, endangering themselves and others. Let’s consider some facts to better illustrate this point; individuals with AD/HD are involved in more and worse traffic accidents, receive more citations (e.g. speeding, running red lights, etc.) and have more license suspensions or revocations than those without the disorder. This all makes sense when we stop and think about the symptoms of AD/HD, namely inattention and impulsivity; the tendency to make rash, impulsive decisions, coupled with difficulty focusing attention creates a recipe for disaster behind the wheel. However, there are some things parents of driving-age AD/HD children can do to moderate these difficulties.

First is educating teens about the risks and dangers associated with AD/HD drivers. Since statistics will likely go in one ear and out the other, a more hands-on approach may be more effective; for example, many U.S. cities display badly damaged post-accident automobiles on the sides of the road to send a message to drivers; if your city does not have such a display, you could find images on the internet of badly damaged auto accident vehicles or visit an auto-repair shop to let your child see the damage an accident can do; if you know an adult driver with AD/HD, you could also ask him or her to discuss with your child the difficulties they experience as a result of the disorder.

Next is closely supervising your child. One way to do this is to self-impose a longer “permit” time, even after a license is issued; you could also establish rules regarding the number of passengers your child is allowed to have in the car, as well amount of time per day, time of day (e.g. only during daylight hours, non-rush hour, etc.) and places he or she is allowed to drive. To ensure compliance, you could go so far as installing vehicle cameras, such as those offered by DriveCam Inc., or GPS monitoring devices, like those sold by MobileTeen GPS.

Since cell phone use affects even “normal” drivers, restricting cell phone use and texting while driving is an important step to keeping your AD/HD child and other drivers safe. Don’t know how to do it? Here’s a suggestion; the Key2SafeDriving device is a Bluetooth transmitter that connects to car keys to disable the driver’s cell phone while the vehicle is in use; a message is sent to the parent’s phone if the driver attempts to use a cell phone while operating the vehicle. For more information, see: key2safedriving.net

Finally, don’t allow your child to take “medication holidays.” Once again, AD/HD affects ALL aspects of daily life; just because your child is not in school right this very second doesn’t mean his or her AD/HD symptoms aren’t having an effect on every other aspect of life, including driving.