JAMA Netw Open

Are older drivers with ADHD at higher risk for crashes?

October 6, 2023

This prospective cohort study found that older adult drivers with ADHD may be at a significantly elevated crash risk compared with their counterparts without ADHD, highlighting the need for effective interventions to improve the diagnosis and clinical management of ADHD among older adults.

• Researchers collected data on active drivers ages 65 to 79 from primary care clinics and residential communities at 5 U.S. sites in Ann Arbor, Michigan; Baltimore, Maryland; Cooperstown, New York; Denver, Colorado; and San Diego, California, between July 6, 2015, and March 31, 2019.
• Of the 2,832 drivers studied, 1,500 (53.0%) were women and 1,332 (47.0%) were men, with a mean age of 71.4 years.
• Older adult drivers with ADHD had significantly higher incidence rates of hard-braking events per 1,000 miles than those without ADHD (1.35 vs. 1.15), as well as self-reported traffic ticket events per 1 million miles (22.47 vs. 9.74) and self-reported vehicular crashes per 1 million miles (27.10 vs. 13.50).
• ADHD was associated with a significant 7% increased risk of hard-braking events (adjusted incidence rate ratio [aIRR], 1.07), a 102% increased risk of self-reported traffic ticket events (aIRR, 2.02), and a 74% increased risk of self-reported vehicular crashes (aIRR, 1.74).

Source:

Liu Y, et al. (2023, October 2). JAMA Netw Open. Motor Vehicle Crash Risk in Older Adult Drivers With Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37792374/