Is It Safe to Drive After Recovering From a Concussion?

The Risks of Driving Too Soon After a Concussion

Getting back behind the wheel following a concussion requires careful consideration. Even after outward symptoms fade, subtle neurological impairments may persist that can slow reaction times and increase accident risk. Recent research suggests concussion patients can experience driving difficulties for weeks or months after their head injury despite feeling fully recovered.

What Happens to the Brain During a Concussion

A concussion results from an impact that causes the brain to bounce around inside the skull. This creates chemical changes and microscopic damage to brain cells. The result is a temporary dysfunction that can show up in physical, cognitive, and emotional symptoms.

Common concussion symptoms include headache, dizziness, fatigue, irritability, concentration or memory problems. Most patients start to feel better within 7-10 days as their bruised brain heals. However, full recovery can vary dramatically based on concussion severity and individual factors.

The Risk of Premature Return to Driving

After the initial blow of a concussion, some people experience a symptom-free latent phase before consequences like headaches or mental fog set in. In the early stages before onset of symptoms, determining if the brain has fully rebounded to make someone safe to drive is difficult.

According to research, drivers in the first six weeks following concussion demonstrate delayed reaction times, reduced information processing abilities, and more variable speed control behind the wheel in driving simulations. Such impairments raise the possibility of missing critical events, traffic violations, and collisions.

Is It Safe to Drive After Concussion Symptoms Disappear?

The outward signals of concussion like headache, dizziness and nausea typically start to fade within days or weeks after a head injury. However, full neurological recovery can lag behind symptom resolution by a significant margin in some patients.

Persistent Deficits in Visual Tracking

A driving simulation study found that teenagers who no longer showed any physical symptoms two months after their concussion still demonstrated subtle neuro-cognitive impairments. While steering through simulated driving scenarios, their gaze fixated less on surrounding vehicles and trouble spots compared to uninjured teens.

Such deficient visual tracking raises the risk of accidents or missing road hazards while driving until the brain completely mends. Standard vision tests may not catch these lingering visual processing effects following concussion recovery.

Delayed Processing Speed and Reactions

Even a month after concussion resolution, when subjects felt fully recovered, measurements showed they remained slower than normal at gathering visual information and reacting behind the simulated wheel. Reaction time deficiencies put drivers at greater risk for collisions, missing signals, or inappropriate responses to sudden roadway events.

Since quick information processing and response time is critical for safe driving, the study indicates driving assessments should follow clinical recovery to make sure navigation skills have sufficiently bounced back along with symptoms subsiding.

Warning Signs You May Not Be Ready to Drive

Though formal driving evaluations provide the most definitive testing, tuning into subtle everyday signs can also indicate if your brain still suffers lingering impacts that impair driving capacity after a concussion.

Ongoing Physical Symptoms

Post-concussion headaches, light sensitivity, noise sensitivity, nausea, dizziness or balance problems all signal the brain remains in recovery mode. Any concussion symptoms persisting beyond a week warrant caution before driving and consultation with your doctor.

Mental Fatigue Sets in Quickly

Notice if mundane activities like shopping, computer tasks, or reading zap your mental energy faster than normal. Mental exertion demands focus similar to operating a vehicle. If your stamina fails quickly at lower key tasks, driving may overtax your still-healing brain.

Feeling Overstimulated

A healed brain can handle sensory stimulation without getting overwhelmed. But concussion recovery leaves some struggling to filter excess noise and light. If busy public settings unsettle you, this oversensitivity could translate to traffic scenes flooding your awareness and compromising driving competence.

Forgetfulness and Confusion

Forget where you parked upon leaving a store or what exiting route you planned despite having driven there many times? Missing familiar landmarks or directions and memory glitches even weeks post-concussion signal enough cerebral dysfunction to likely impair driving ability until the brain fully mends.

Best Practices for Returning to Driving Post-Concussion

Experts advise concussion patients to avoid driving for at least one week following their head injury. How long to remain off the road beyond that varies based on factors like age, symptoms, and occupation. Here are some smart guidelines for gauging readiness before getting back behind the wheel after concussion.

Get Cleared by Your Doctor

Don’t rush back before your physician confirms your concussion has sufficiently resolved and approves driving resumption. Be candid about any subtle lingering effects that may influence driving competence. Formal driving examinations may be recommended for more severe or recurrent concussions.

Start as a Passenger First

Before driving solo again, ride as a passenger for short trips to gauge comfort being back in moving vehicles. Notice if you feel overstimulated, fatigued, or anxious in ways that could translate to challenges handling full navigation duties as a driver.

Drive Only When Well Rested

Attempting to drive when tired normally raises safety issues. After concussion, mental and visual processing systems need maximal energy to function optimally behind the wheel. So only drive when you feel fresh and alert enough for the significant brain demands of operating a vehicle.

Avoid Heavy Traffic

For your earliest post-concussion drives, plan routes with minimal traffic, turns, and decision points. Don’t take on complex driving scenarios like rush hour gridlock or unfamiliar highways until you confirm basic driving competence on quiet local roads.

As concussions heal at different paces, let your symptoms and cognitive recovery guide you. Just because you feel back to normal or passed initial driving screens doesn’t necessarily make you ready for heavy driving duties like commuting or transporting others. Build back gradually based on your continuing experience behind the wheel after clearing this brain injury hurdle.

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult with a healthcare professional before starting any new treatment regimen.