Pre-crash driving behaviour of individuals with and without ADHD

Research suggests that drivers diagnosed with Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are at increased risk of involvement in motor vehicle crashes due to inattention and impulsive behaviours. However, the behavioural characteristics of ADHD drivers which lead to a crash is not well understood. Therefore, the goal for this study was to evaluate the driving performance of individuals diagnosed with ADHD when they took their prescribed stimulant medication compared to when they refrained from taking their medication and a control condition. Forty-four participants (27 diagnosed with ADHD, 17 not diagnosed with ADHD) completed four simulated drives. ADHD drivers, when medicated, had similar pre-crash driving performance (velocity, brake force, steering movement, and lane offset) as the control condition. Conversely, when not medicated, ADHD drivers had significantly different driving performance compared to the medication and control conditions. These results highlight the importance that ADHD drivers take their medication, and noncompliance could be detected via in-vehicle safety systems.