Driving Under the Influence of ADHD: Research and Policy Implications
by Jessica Weafer, Richard Milich, and Mark T. Fillmore

Although ADHD is most often thought of as a disorder that affects children, it is becoming increasingly obvious that the disorder also strongly affects the lives of adults, impairing their ability to function across many domains. Adults with ADHD often encounter difficulty at work, within personal and social relationships, and in many seemingly simple, and often taken for granted, everyday tasks. One such task is that of driving an automobile. While most adults manage to drive safely and carefully without having to devote a great deal of cognitive effort, the same is not necessarily true for adults with ADHD. The cognitive deficits present in those with the disorder set the stage for potentially seriously impaired driving performance, and for this reason it is imperative that researchers, clinicians, and individuals with the disorder (and those close to them) learn as much as possible about the dangers and ways in which they can be prevented. Here, we wish to summarize research findings from an article we recently published in the journal Experimental and Clinical Psychopharmacology and highlight several policy implications (Weafer, Camarillo, Fillmore, Milcih, & Marczinski, 2008).

As most people familiar with the disorder are well aware, ADHD in adults is characterized by deficits in inhibitory and attentional mechanisms. Individuals with ADHD experience difficulty with impulse control and behavior regulation, as well as with sustaining attention for prolonged periods of time (Barkley, 1997; Tannock, 1998). Adults with ADHD also display impaired executive functioning, which is the ability to regulate behavior in accordance with current context as well as planning for future events (Nigg et al., 2005). Each of these deficits can have sever implications for driving safety. In order to safely operate a motor vehible, one must be acutely aware of one's surroundings at all times. This requires extreme and prolonged vigilance. Further, drivers must also maintain constant focus on the task at hand (i.e., driving), while ignoring the myriad distracters that are inevitably encountered (i.e., from other stimuli in the environment). Finally, drivers must remain calm and plan for future maneuvers (e.g., switching lanes, making turns), and refrain from making split-second decisions that other drivers (click here to download and view the complete article).

This article was reprinted with permission from The ADHD Report, Guilford Publications, Inc., New York, NY, December 2008, Volume 16, No. 6. www.guilford.com

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Visit myADHD.com and use the follow tools this month to help children with ADHD establish household routines and to promote responsibility:

• My Daily Jobs
• My Morning Jobs List
• My Bedtime Jobs List
• Using a Home Token Economy Worksheet