Driving and Dementia

A new study from Rhode Island Hospital and Brown University show that adults who have Alzheimer's disease are involved in more traffic accidents and perform more poorly on driving tests than their peers who do not have any cognitive impairment.

Researchers studied 128 older drivers. Eighty-four were in the early stages of Alzheimer's and 44 were age-matched controls with no cognitive impairment.  The goal was to understand driving impairments in adults with very mild to mild dementia.

In addition to an increase in traffic accidents and a decrease in performance on driving tests, adults with Alzheimer's showed significant and steady decrease in their driving abilities over time.  Although some individuals with very mild dementia can continue to drive safely for a period of time, regular driving assessments are necessary to avoid accidents.

So how do you know when you or your loved one should stop driving?  Some people naturally understand the risks involved in driving with a cognitive impairment and stop by themselves.  Others lack the ability to judge their skills and may insist they are able to continue to drive even when it becomes obvious to others they cannot.

Driving is privilege, not a right and adults who have been diagnosed with very mild or mild dementia have an obligation to have their driving skills evaluated.  Individuals with moderate to severe dementia should not drive at all.

Independent driving evaluations are often available through driver rehabilitation programs or your state DMV.  Googling "driver evaluation" and your state should get you several names in your geographic area who offer this service. 

Your physician may be required to report a diagnosis of dementia to the DMV, resulting in the automatic suspension of a driver's license.  However, reporting laws are different in each state.  When a driver is reported to the DMV, they may be required to take a new behind-the-wheel driving test.

If you or other family members are driving with a person with dementia, it is your obligation to monitor their driving skills.  Signs of potential trouble include drivers who stop in traffic for no apparent reason or fail to stop at stop signs or red lights; getting lost in familiar areas or not being able to remember the way home; traffic violations, fender benders or near-misses; or driving too slowly.