21 Oct 2023 20:02 – Updated Oct 21 2023 20:02
Adults with an ADHD diagnosis are twice as likely to be involved in traffic accidents. This is shown by a new American study.
ADHD is a condition with inattention, impulsivity and hyperactivity as symptoms.
It is usually considered a developmental disorder among children, but can persist into adulthood.
The condition can affect the performance of everyday activities even in well-to-do adults. As behavior in traffic, a new study shows.
The study is published in the journal JAMA Network Open.
End up twice as often in car accidents
Almost 3,000 active car drivers between the ages of 65 and 79 took part in the study.
They were then followed up for just over three and a half years. The researchers used both computer systems that record what happens in the car and annual follow-ups with interviews.
Drivers with ADHD were involved in offenses and traffic accidents twice as often as other drivers.
They received traffic fines more than twice as often as other drivers of the same age without the diagnosis. They were also involved in car collisions twice as often.
Both parts were calculated in relation to mileage.
Drivers with ADHD also had a somewhat increased risk of having to brake suddenly.
– This is not an official diagnosis, but corresponds to attention deficit.
– Studies have shown that the use of ADHD medication reduced the risk of accidents in people with ADHD, says Professor Jan Haavik at the University of Bergen. Read more Close
Medicines reduce the risk
There are other and much larger studies that have examined the same issue, says Haavik.
A Danish study from 2022 studied data from 130,000 drivers and found about the same increased risk of traffic accidents among people who used ADHD drugs. An increase of between 60 and 90 per cent, according to Haavik.
A 2017 American study surveyed 2.3 million drivers.
– It showed that the use of ADHD medication reduced the risk of accidents by 42 per cent in people with ADHD, says Haavik.
– Most effective to ban the use of motorcycles
Overall, ADHD does not seem to be associated with a dramatically increased risk of traffic accidents, emphasizes Haavik.
– On the other hand, it is well documented that young drivers have a many times increased risk of traffic accidents, including serious accidents, he points out.
The most effective way to reduce the number of serious traffic accidents will be to ban the use of motorcycles, regardless of age and diagnosis, Haavik believes.
Have anxiety or depression more often
Anxiety and depression were also more prevalent among those with ADHD, the new study shows.
They had such psychological problems almost three times more often than others.
– Our findings indicate that effective interventions are needed to diagnose and manage ADHD among older drivers in order to increase safety in traffic. Researcher Yuxin Liu at the Colombia Mailman School of Public Health says so in a press release.
There were 2,832 car drivers in the study. Of these, 75 people had a diagnosis of ADHD, which amounts to 2.6 per cent.
The drivers were registered between 2015 and 2017 in the LongROAD project LongROAD, Longitudinal Research on Aging Drivers. The data analysis was completed in August 2023.
Traffic fines occurred 22 times against 10 times per million miles driven. One mile corresponds to 1,609 meters.
The researchers collected data from primary health care in cities in five states.
Magic phenomenon
Norwegian research has shown that a certain phenomenon can cause accidents in traffic.
It is when people or objects suddenly appear “out of thin air”. This is because our sensory impressions are temporarily manipulated.
This happens because other road users have seconds earlier been hidden behind the pillar between the windscreen and side windows, the so-called A-pillar.
The motorist suddenly discovers this pedestrian or e-cyclist and has to brake suddenly, according to this article from the Institute of Transport Economics.
Reference:
Y. Liu mf: Motor Vehicle Crash Risk in Older Adult Drivers With Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder. JAMA Network Open, October 4, 2023.
(This article was first published on Forskning.no).
2023-10-21 18:02:53
#Adults #ADHD #car #accidents
