Visual Abstract

Driving in young adults with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: knowledge, performance, adverse outcomes, and the role of executive functioning

ADHD and Driving in Young Adults

Russell A Barkley , Kevin R Murphy, George I Dupaul, Tracie Bush

Summarized by:

Charles Li, MD

July 19, 2023

study source

J Int Neuropsychol Soc

Jul 2002

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What they studied

This study wanted to see how young adults with ADHD drive.

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What they found

Those with ADHD had more accidents, tickets, and license suspensions. Those with more difficulty with executive function had more car accidents.

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What this means

There is a significant link between ADHD and dangerous driving in young adults.

Driving in young adults with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: knowledge, performance, adverse outcomes, and the role of executive functioning

Objectives

The study wanted to examine the link between ADHD and driving safety.

ADHD affects attention and impulsivity, which can affect driving. ADHD has also been linked with more intense moods, which may affect emotions and anger while driving:

Some studies in the past have linked ADHD with more dangerous driving.

This study wanted to conduct a more detailed analysis of this relationship.

Study Quote

Barkley et al. 2002

Past studies find that attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) creates a higher risk for adverse driving outcomes.

Methods

Researchers conducted a case-control study comparing driving habits and driving histories between those with ADHD and those without ADHD.

They also evaluated executive function, which is responsible for your higher-level thought processes.

What is executive function?

Study Quote

Barkley et al. 2002

This study comprehensively evaluated driving in adults with ADHD by comparing 105 young adults with the disorder (age 17-28) to 64 community control (CC) adults on five domains of driving ability and a battery of executive function tasks.

Result

As expected, those with ADHD had significantly worse driving records than those without ADHD.

Researchers found that those with ADHD were much more likely to get traffic tickets, get into traffic accidents, and receive license suspensions.

Those with ADHD also scored lower on tests of driving knowledge. They were more likely to admit to less safe driving habits.

Those with difficulties with executive function were more likely to get into car accidents:

Study Quote

Barkley et al. 2002

The ADHD group self-reported significantly more traffic citations, particularly for speeding, vehicular crashes, and license suspensions than the CC group, with most of these differences corroborated in the official DMV records. Cognitively, the ADHD group was less attentive and made mor...

Conclusions

These results show that those with ADHD are at a higher risk of dangerous driving.

This is consistent with previous studies that have found similar links in adults who had childhood ADHD:

Fortunately, ADHD is treatable. In fact, studies such as the one below have found that those who are treated for ADHD may be safer drivers:

Study Quote

Barkley et al. 2002

These results are consistent with earlier studies showing significant driving problems are associated with ADHD. This study found that these driving difficulties were not a function of comorbid oppositional defiant disorder, depression, anxiety, or frequency of alcohol or illegal drug us...